Garret Ahearn
Administrative Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2025 (Revocation) Order 2026, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No.”
“I am very conscious that No. 10 is to be taken at 11.30 a.m. and it is now 11.30 a.m. I will be brief. I will make a note of any contributions relating to debates for when we come back in September. There were a lot of calls for debates.”
“We have been here for a number of years and she is correct; a lot of it has come through in July. Technically, it is for the Leader to set out the timeline of debates but I understand the frustration when it comes late or when there is little scope for debate. The motions, in fairness, were referred to committee for debate.”
“9, whichever is later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 75 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government, the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister at th…”
“5, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No. 4) Regulations 2026, back from committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 4 without debate; No. 6, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development (Act of 2000)) (No.”
“We will have a busy time coming back in September with an expected by-election to this House, which will create more work for them. To all colleagues across the House, on a personal level, I thank them for the last number of weeks since I took over as Leader of the Seanad. It has been a busy number of weeks for all of us.”
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“As the Tánaiste said - I am acutely aware of this in Clonmel - it has a knock-on effect on employment for smaller businesses in the region. It is hugely important that we support it and that we have that foreign direct investment from America. We need to open up markets too. There is one suggestion I will make to the Tánaiste in his new position as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, with trade having gone to his Department. The Department of trade and, in particular, the Department of Agriculture have played a key role in opening up new markets across the world. One market we need to prioritise is Taiwan. We used to have a trade office in Taiwan and we need to reopen it. Most of our European counterparts, 17 or 18 of them, have trade offices in Taiwan. We use the European office as a base but it does not really do the work for us.”
“If we need to respond, we need to respond with strength to President Trump. As a collective in this House and in the Lower House, we need to come together for the best interests of the Irish people. I hope we will do so in the coming weeks. I hear people talking about how we are over-reliant on American companies and on foreign direct investment, but I have not yet heard anyone say what companies we should not have brought into Ireland. I come from Clonmel, County Tipperary, which has a proud history of foreign direct investment. Merck Sharp & Dohme, Boston Scientific and Abbott create huge employment in the region. Most foreign direct investment companies now locate outside of Dublin as opposed to in Dublin.”
“It would have been easier to spend that money in previous years but the prudent thing to do was to keep money aside for situations like this. That is important. As a country, first and foremost we need to remain calm. I know that is what the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and the Cabinet will do. Obviously, when we are in negotiations over the next number of weeks with the US, we will need to do it in collaboration with the EU because we come from a position of strength when we stay together. Obviously, each country has its own individual challenges. For us, the pharmaceutical sector is one major area. Although we do not have the full details, it seems welcome that pharmaceuticals might be excluded from the 20% tariff. We are a bigger bloc than the USA. We have 450 million people in the European Union.”
“I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The Tánaiste is very welcome to the Chamber today. Obviously, it has been a very interesting 24 hours. It is apt to have him in the Chamber to be able to address us on these pressing matters. When we talk about international relations and international trade, it is important first of all to look at our own country and where we are positioned. As the Tánaiste noted in his contribution, we come from a position of strength and we are at full employment. Since Fine Gael came into government in 2011, we have created more than 1 million jobs. We have surpluses in our budget every year. We set up a rainy-day fund in which there is €16 billion in place at the moment. These were difficult decisions to make.”
“Before we begin, I welcome Senator Mark Duffy to the Chamber, with Karen Duffy and Cora Gordon. They are all very welcome to the Seanad, I hope they enjoy the day. They are being well looked after by Mark who does very good work for us here in Leinster House and we thank him for his service.”
“If this lack of funding continues, at some point we will have to go back to the start, which will have wasted six or seven years and €5 million of taxpayers' money. I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about this. I was hopeful that he saw the sense in continuing it to planning stage but, unfortunately, he has not. I would appreciate if the Leader could convey those concerns that I have about the project. It is vital road infrastructure which needs to be improved for the south-east region, not only for Tipperary but for Limerick, Waterford and on to Rosslare.”
“It is the N24 from Limerick to Waterford. This is the second year running in which funding for this road has been stopped, which is very disappointing. It is for the second section of the road, from Cahir to Waterford. People living within the buffer zone of that prospective road are unable to do any work, build houses or do any planning work on farm land because they are in a buffer zone of a road that is not being funded to completion. We have spent over €5 million progressing that road project over the past two years without continuing to the planning stage, which which cost only a further €2 million. Once we get to planning stage, a decision can be made on the construction, but it means we would not have to go back to the start.”
“I also wish to be associated with the comments on Mr. Wilmshurst from the British Embassy. I wish him well in his new role. I also welcome Mr. Moore. He has big shoes to fill, which I am sure he will do. I acknowledge the excellent work over recent years. It has been a difficult time. A lot of things happened in the UK, particularly in respect of the UK-Ireland relationship, and Mr. Wilmshurst played a key role in that over recent years. I thank him for that. There was a positive announcement last week about roads funding, with an increase on previous years. However, one road was not selected for funding. I have spoken about it numerous times.”
“We know from a Red Cross report and our communities that most people availed of the scheme out of the goodness of their hearts and that it had nothing to do with getting money or their being landlords in the rental sector. I would be interested in knowing from where the concerns expressed by the Department of housing are coming. Leaving that aside, the scheme is being amended in line with the changing dynamics and the change in the number of Ukrainians we have in the country. This is the beginning of the process of winding down the scheme. A payment of €600 tax-free for any individual who is taking in Ukrainians is an attractive amount of money for people to receive. We support the scheme. I thank the Minister for her contribution.”
“A number speakers referred to the proposal to reduce the payment of €800 to €600. We have to remember that the payment was originally €400. It is not the case that we are reducing the payment dramatically. It is a tax-free payment. Essentially, it is the equivalent of a normal rental property of over €1,000 per month because most people who rent properties pay 50% tax on rental payments. It remains an attractive payment. We do not want to wind the scheme down any time soon, but we need to begin the process given that many Ukrainians are now leaving and the numbers coming in have reduced. In that sense, I understand why we need to change the scheme in line with the current situation. The Minister said the scheme is being changed in part to address concerns of those in the private rental market.”
“As the Minister knows from her previous role as Minister for Education, over 70,000 Ukrainian children are going to school across Ireland. They are learning and continuing to develop and progress. They have integrated really well into schools. There is a small school in my tiny village in Tipperary where it has been positive for the Irish kids in the school to experience people from other countries, backgrounds and viewpoints and the challenges they face. It develops our children who may not have experienced such diversity in a very positive sense. It is important to reiterate what the Minister said. The motion is about whether we will extend the scheme. That is what we are deciding on today. I totally support extending the scheme. It is important that we do that.”
“I totally understand why that was the case this year. As the Minister stated, this is a recognition payment for families and people who are opening up their homes. It saves the State a great deal of money. The State is saving €1 million to €2 million per day through people offering their homes rather than using alternative accommodation. While we have spent over €250 million on the scheme, if it was not in place, the cost of alternative accommodation would be close to €1 billion at this stage. The scheme is to be welcomed and supported. We all know families across the country, including in my county, Tipperary, who have done phenomenal work to support Ukrainians. Many Ukrainians are working in towns and villages across the country and play a vital role in our economy.”
“As Senator O'Loughlin indicated, it is a goodwill gesture. People do not do this for the money. Rather, they do it because of their humanity in wanting to help fellow citizens across the world who are being displaced due to an unjust war. Obviously, it is important that we extend the scheme. The scheme will come under the remit of the Department of Justice in the future. It is to be hoped we will not have an issue in a year's time. There was some uncertainty over the past couple of weeks about whether the scheme would be extended. We all knew it would be, but we should halt that uncertainty if the scheme needs to be extended next year. We had elections and Government formation, as well as other issues in the Lower House to deal with, but it is important that we do not leave things until the last week.”
“This is an important initiative that was brought forward in March 2022 when the war in Ukraine began. As other speakers said, if it were not for the generosity of people across this country in opening their homes and vacant houses to help Ukrainians fleeing a dreadful war, things would have been difficult. People did that not knowing for how long they would be doing it. We sometimes forget that. We thought the war could last one or two weeks, or perhaps a month or two. People took in Ukrainians who they never met in their lives and did not know without any consideration for long they would stay. Some people have been in the same home with the same family for three years. There has been no question of changing the arrangement and families continue to support Ukrainians regardless. This is a good initiative that supports such arrangements.”
“I also welcome our guests. The Minister is welcome to the House. I wish her well in her new portfolio. She will have a busy couple of years, but we are here to support and help her in any way we can. I acknowledge the work she did on St. Patrick's Day – not everyone sees those ministerial duties being carried out. I had the privilege of being in London and the UK Parliament where she represented Ireland and the Government abroad. She spoke incredibly well on behalf of the people of Ireland at a number of events. She spoke about the opportunities we have in being an open economy and about bringing business to Ireland. She also spoke to the diaspora in the UK. I acknowledge her work in that regard and thank her for it. The Fine Gael party supports the motion.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2025, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 6th March, 2025.”
“When the Senator says something to the effect that these decisions are made because people do not have family members in the Defence Forces, it is important to point out that there are two people in this Chamber who are former members of the Defence Forces and one Member in the other Chamber, namely, Deputy Callaghan, who worked as a peacekeeper abroad. The Senator might not have been aware that there are Members of these Houses with family members who are active or former members of the Defence Forces. What he said is not true, and putting forward a case that certain decisions are being made here because we do not have family members in the Defence Forces is not wrong.”
“We will potentially be discussing the triple lock, which is related to peacekeeping missions and not to going into war or sending people into war. We can all come from different viewpoints, which is totally respectful, but we have to be credible in what we are saying. Senator Andrews spoke about our losing our neutrality and possibly joining NATO, but I do not think anyone here is suggesting that. There was innuendo that, somehow, people in this House make decisions more easily because it might not be their family members or kids. I come from Clonmel. We used to have an awful lot of former Army people who worked in Kickham Barracks, as we still do. They are very proud of the work they do. They do not go into it for financial reasons but because they want to play a role in this country and this State.”
“I would like to be associated with the comments about Aisling Hart and wish her well on her retirement. Her years of service have been incredible and she has played a key role in the functioning of this House and this building. Her service to Leinster House and the country is undeniable. I wish her well on her retirement. I was going to speak on issues relating to work permits but I cannot help but respond to Senator Andrews's comments on foreign policy, defence and our Defence Forces. I say that respectfully. We have an opportunity next week, when the Tánaiste comes to the Seanad to speak on international relations, trade and future policies, to discuss those matters but we need to be honest about what we are discussing.”
“Will the Leader invite the new Minister for sport to come the Chamber at some point at his convenience? As the Leader will know, the sports capital grant has been very beneficial to clubs throughout the country, including in my own area in Tipperary. This was a scheme that was reintroduced a number of years ago by Fine Gael when we were in government. Can we have a discussion with the Minister on getting extra funding and supports for clubs and to allow him to outline when a new scheme will be put in place and his vision over the next five years of how we can support clubs throughout the country?”
“I welcome guests of Deputy John Lahart to the Chamber who are students and teachers from St. Pius X Girls' National School. I am aware a grand-niece of the Deputy is also here. They are very welcome. I hope they enjoy the day and learn a lot. There might be some future politicians in the group. If they have not done so already, I instruct the teachers to give a day off homework today.”
“Amendments Nos. 27 to 30, inclusive, are related. Amendments Nos. 28 to 30, inclusive, are physical alternatives to amendment No. 27. Amendments Nos. 27 to 30, inclusive, may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.”
“Amendment No. 16 is ruled out of order due to a potential charge on Revenue. Amendments Nos. 17 and 18 are ruled out of order because they are not relevant to the subject matter of the Bill and a potential charge on the Revenue.”
“I thank the Minister of State. My apologies to Senator Collins, I did not ask her if she wanted to speak before the Minister of State. If she does now, she is more than welcome to do so. Otherwise, I will put the question to the House.”
“I thank the Minister for that commitment. It will be very much welcomed by Members of this House. That respect is very important and I am sure it will be reciprocated. We have had a very worthwhile debate. When is it proposed to sit again?”
“Many of the families and people who host Ukrainians have never been members of the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. They have not been involved in renting accommodation or been landlords before. They have done it out of goodwill. This is really important. It has been brought up to me in Tipperary a number of times by host families who are concerned about what to do for the people they are looking after and by the Ukrainians themselves. Obviously, talks are happening at the moment in terms of a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine, but I do not think anyone thinks for a second that everyone is going to go back to that country safe and sound in the next couple of weeks. Over the next number of days, we need to make a decision on what we are doing on this scheme. As the Leader knows, this has to be passed by both Houses by 31 March.”
“I wish to ask the Leader when the renewal of the accommodation recognition payment for beneficiaries of temporary protection will come before the House. As he knows, this temporary measure is up on 31 March. It has been renewed twice over the past four years. There are many Ukrainians in this country - approximately 36,000 at the moment - who are benefiting from host families looking after them over recent years. This has always been a temporary measure, but it obviously needs to be renewed. We currently have more than 20,000 active payment claims in respect of hosting in excess of 36,000 Ukrainians. This is beneficial for us as a State because it saves the State money in terms of having to find alternative accommodation. In fact, it saves the State €1 million or €2 million per day in costs.”
“If we get a chance to have the Minister for Transport in at some point, I will talk about road projects but, in fairness to the previous Minister, there was an awful lot of work done on this sort of issue over the past five years and we are now starting to see the benefits right across the country.”
“We will have a cycleway from the Rock of Cashel down to Cahir, over to Clonmel, to Carrick-on-Suir, over to Waterford and down to Dungarvan, and it is extended on from Dungarvan to Youghal to Cork. It is a fantastic route. It gives people living in the area the opportunity to walk or cycle a couple of kilometres and increases tourism for the area as well, including for small towns and villages outside the obvious places such as Dungarvan, Waterford and Cashel. Towns like Kilsheelan, Portlaw and Kilmacthomas are now benefiting significantly from this type of investment. It is not massive money but its knock-on impact on regions across the country is huge. I welcome that funding.”
“I welcome yesterday's announcement of funding for cycleways and walkways across the country. Tipperary has received almost €650,000 to go towards cycleways and improving routes in the county. This is a critical piece of infrastructure. It is very good for well-being and good for people to be out and active. Routes along Tipperary have been quite successful. The Suir blueway from Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel is being extended from Clonmel to Marlfield and Cahir. With this funding, it will continue up to the Rock of Cashel. One of the most important elements of this funding is that it is going to connect the Suir blueway to the greenway in Waterford.”
“I thank the Senator. Before I ask Senator Ruane to speak on her Commencement matter, I welcome guests of the former Captain of the Guard John Flaherty. It is lovely to see him again. He and his guests are very welcome. They are in much better hands than a Senator or a TD bringing them around this building. They are in wonderful hands. It is great to see John.”
“As we wait for the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, to take the next Commencement matter, I thank Senators Fitzpatrick and Ruane for facilitating the change to suit the Minister, Deputy Calleary.”
“Before the Minister responds, I take this opportunity to welcome the guests of Deputy Richard O'Donoghue from CBS in Charleville who are here in the Public Gallery. I hope you are all having a good day and enjoying your visit. I also hope the Deputy is looking after you well.”
“The bells are ringing in the Lower House, so the Minister of State has to go to vote. The next Minister of State due here has to vote as well, so I ask the Acting Leader that we suspend the House until 3 p.m.”
“I ask the Leader that the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, come into this House and outline Ireland's and the EU's position, and how he sees this Government focusing on and supporting businesses. It has been a very challenging time for the last couple of years but from what we heard last night, there is going to be an even more challenging time for businesses across the country.”
“I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the news of possible tariffs for the EU and the impact they could have. As we all know, businesses across the country are going through a very difficult time. They have increased expenditure, and challenges which are quite demanding for them at the moment. The Government recognises that and is trying to put supports in place for businesses, such as the 9% VAT rate which will be introduced in the next budget and other measures. I am not sure any measure the Government is proposing at the moment will go far enough to solve the problem of a 25% tariff which the President of the US is proposing to impose.”
“What is the long-term objective? I know Thornton Hall is one but in general, what is the long-term objective in terms of prison spaces?”
“The Minister said there are 14,100 gardaí. That is not enough but we need to remember that only ten years ago, we only had 12,500 gardaí so it has increased. When people talk about gardaí retiring, there are new people coming in. This is important for me because Templemore is in Tipperary. Every 11 or 12 weeks I see an average of 200 new gardaí coming through the system, all proud of the fact they are able to serve their country. Recruitment is a challenge. We made a commitment in the programme for Government to get 5,000 new gardaí. We are at a stage in this country, which is very positive, that we have full employment. That makes getting more gardaí a challenge. What is the Minister's plan to do that? My final question is about the capacity of prisons. With an increasing population we need more prison spaces, and more prisons.”
“Talking to shop owners right across the county of Tipperary that happens on a daily and weekly basis and robbery is at an all time high. The third thing, which is quite common, is the sale of drugs right in a town centre on a main street. The Minister said in his contribution that visibility of gardaí is one of the things that keeps being brought up with us as public representatives, and I completely agree with him. I also agree with his narrative that when people talk about visibility of gardaí that means there is trust in the gardaí but people want to see more of them. We see such obvious signs of drug taking and drug selling on the main streets of places such as Clomnel and other towns across Tipperary, and that is not the way it was 20 or 25 years ago. Obviously we need more gardaí and recruitment is important.”
“It does not always happen that a farm owner gets injured but that potential is always there and that is where the fear comes from, that they are often on their own and in a vulnerable situation. The other thing that happens in Tipperary quite a lot is theft - shop crime, where people rob from shops. That this happens on a regular basis is a huge financial burden on shops and it also causes huge intimidation and fear among the staff who work there. Only a couple of weeks ago, two women working in a small shop in a rural town in Tipperary were confronted by armed robbers who robbed the place. Luckily the two women were not injured but they were traumatised. In fairness, local gardaí responded extremely quickly and actually apprehended the people and they will go through the court process, which is a really good outcome. That fear is there.”
“In Tipperary, there are three types of crime that happen quite a lot and that cause great distress and frustration for communities. One of these rural crimes is violence, particularly in the robbery of farm equipment and machinery. It happens to people in rural areas who are in a vulnerable situation as they are not close to neighbours and friends. In Clonmel two or three years ago, a young farmer came home to his farm and people were on site robbing machinery and equipment. He tried to intervene in some way and was severely injured. We can be thankful that he has now recovered. Only a couple of days later, a meeting was held in the community hall. Over 600 people attended because of the fear people have of what can happen. These people sped off, drove up the motorway and were not found again. That is a common occurrence.”
“I am sharing time with Senator Duffy. We will take five minutes each, if that is agreeable. The Minister is very welcome to the Chamber. He has now been here two weeks in a row, which is a good start. You cannot talk about community safety or crime without first acknowledging the service our gardaí provide right across the country. In our jobs, we deal with them on a weekly basis. We know the sacrifices they and their families make for them to carry out the work they do. We have family members, friends and neighbours who play that really important role. When we talk about community drive, we should talk about it in a positive sense. There are challenges in every job, and in the job of our gardaí more than most, but that role can be really fulfilling. That is important to say. The Minister talked about different types of crime.”
“I am sure he is getting recommendations for what the amount should be. That is clearly important in supporting councillors. The majority of councillors do not have offices so the amount would obviously be different from Oireachtas Members. From talking to councillors throughout the country, the key element is that 100% would be repaid. That seems to be the deterrent for local representatives throughout the country. They want to do it but cannot afford to, or are not in a position to be able to do it.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. As he said, he knows this issue very well. He was a councillor for 11 years in Waterford City Council and mayor for two years. He knows the challenges and pressures councillors are under. Councillors also know that. I know from talking to a lot of councillors that they are very hopeful that he will be able to make changes. As he said, 23 people put in applications in 2024. We have more than 1,000 councillors, which shows there is something in the system that is wrong. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State, after only a couple of weeks in the role, has already met LAMA and the AILG on a range of issues and on this matter in particular. I especially welcome his confirmation that the 100% element is not an issue because that is the most important part of it.”
“If we recognise that the measures introduced three years ago were not sufficient for Oireachtas Members, we should also recognise that those introduced for councillors at the exact same time and based on the exact same recommendations, made by the group set up to make recommendations, have not been as successful as the Minister of State and I would like. Deputy Cummins, in his position as Minister of State responsible for local government, should consider this and what can be done to encourage and support councillors and keep them safe.”
“Councillors are not paid a lot, so having to pay for something up front if repaid only 50% does not encourage them greatly. I ask that the Minister of State consider the changes made over recent months for Oireachtas Members whereby the amount they may spend was increased to two and half times the original value. Most important, there is a rebate of 100%. I do not believe for one second that we cannot take seriously the safety of councillors right across the country. We need to give them every opportunity to get into public life and feel as though they can devote themselves to it and contribute. However, most important, we need to ensure they are safe when doing their job.”
“All this could be done only when a crime prevention officer came to visit one's house, produced a report and made recommendations on what needed to be done. That has been welcomed and has been good, but the problem is that the uptake has not been significant. The uptake by Oireachtas Members has not been significant, and the uptake among councillors has certainly not been. As the Minister of State knows, councillors are at the very front of local politics, and their security really matters. When we talk to councillors around the country, we hear that one of the reasons the uptake has not been great is the 50% rebate. Councillors recognise they need to get the works done and increase security for their families and staff working in their offices, but they have different circumstances and financial challenges.”
“One of the biggest challenges we have seen over the past ten years concerns the security and safety of all public representatives. A number of measures introduced in recent years have to be recognised and they have been prioritised by the Government, the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Minister of State's Department. A scheme has been put in place to support Oireachtas Members in securing their homes and offices and to provide security to the staff who work in their offices. This scheme was put in place about three years ago. A sum of €10,000 was available to invest in either one's home or office, and 50% of that could be reclaimed as an Oireachtas Member. A similar scheme was set up for councillors whereby they could spend €5,000 on safety measures in their homes, with 50% of that, or €2,500, reclaimable.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and wish him well in his new role. It is wonderful to have a former Member of this House elevated to a Ministry. I know that during his term he will show this House and Members of this House the utmost respect, because he is a former Member. I raise the issue of security for all public representatives right across the country. As the Minister of State knows, politics has changed in the past 20 years. Demands on politicians and local representatives have increased dramatically. The pressures and challenges they face, particularly with social media, have been recognised over recent years. There is an obligation on all of us in politics to encourage people to get into politics and serve their communities.”
“From a diplomatic perspective, however, it is important, particularly for the citizens and youth of the UK, to have the opportunity to travel to other countries. This is quite a straight forward request from the Minister and as a Fine Gael Party member and as part of the Government side, we support it and wish the Minister well with it.”