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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“We have done it before during other crises and are lucky that we are in a position to do so again because we have a surplus that we can choose to spend on those who are most vulnerable and need most support. The Minister for Finance has outlined in the Dáil Chamber his openness and willingness to ensure that the budget in October meets the needs and demands of people through the winter months. Senator Clonan spoke about the Minister for Defence, Deputy McEntee. I disagree with him when he says that she is totally out of her depth. He quoted something she said in support of Ukraine. I presume he supports the Minister's statement. He did not say so but went off on a different tangent. For the last four and a half years, this country has been totally supportive of Ukraine.”
“She related the case of a couple who one would not think would be under pressure with energy costs but who are actually going to their energy provider looking for a payment plan to get them through a tough period. That is replicated across the country because of the increases in energy costs, including electricity costs. That will continue, I suspect, over the summer and into the winter months. However, we have a budget coming up in October and the Minister for Finance is leaving all options open in terms of what can be done. That may include more supports for people to install solar panels, more options for retrofitting or direct support payments during the winter period.”
“Like Senator Scahill, she has a full inbox in relation to the issues she has raised, which is very positive. Something that Senator Ní Chuilinn has been raising for quite some time now is a review of the Sport Ireland Act 2015 and the setting up of some sort of independent sports integrity unit to which sports people can go make a complaint, whether it is about racism or some other abuse, without fearing for their position. This has worked well in other countries, including Australia, for example, and it should be looked at here. I am sure that Senator Ní Chuilinn will work on this as part of the Oireachtas sports committee, of which I am also a member. I will invite the Minister to come to the House to discuss it. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about energy costs and the real challenges they present for people.”
“We were talking about the ambulance service yesterday, whose work structure has been updated twice in 60 years while that of the CMPs has not been updated in 40 years. That is certainly something that needs to be looked at and I will talk to the Minister for Health about it. I suggest the Senator raise it as a Commencement matter but I will talk to the Minister about it. It is good to hear that the Workplace Relations Commission is involved in trying to reach some sort of agreement. It would not be uncommon for the HSE to be seen as an organisation that is not as accommodating as it should be. It is important that the Senator raised that issue today in order to highlight it. Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about sports welfare and racist abuse.”
“Senator Scahill is right when he says the banks have a responsibility to make sure their customers are protected. Perhaps there is something the Government can to do in relation to that. We could have a debate with the Minister for Finance on what can be done. Some of these scams are just so simple and can easily catch people out. We need to do something. I am not surprised that the Senator has been inundated with emails and text messages from people who have been in that vulnerable position. Senator Keogan raised the situation of clinical measurement physiologists, CMPs, and the fact that a lot of their workforce structures have not been updated in 40 years, which is phenomenal, considering the changes that have happened in the health service in that time.”
“I will take them on board and speak to the Minister but the real challenge is trying to find enough spaces across the country, whether in Sligo, Tipperary or anywhere else, particularly for children under the age of one. However, I accept that her concerns are genuine. Senator Scahill raised an issue that he also raised last week, namely, fraudulent text messages and emails. Everyone has experienced this at some point, where a text message comes in asking one to send money to this, that or the other or to give bank details. The most recent example, which Senator Joe O'Reilly also spoke about last week, is a message purporting to be from one's son, on a new phone, asking for €50 to be sent on. It is a very easy trap for someone to fall into.”
“That said, I trust that both sides genuinely want to come to an agreement. A lot of the arguments that the ambulance service has put forward are very credible and need to be addressed. Senator Cosgrove also spoke about contracts going to private providers and about big companies being involved in childcare provision. We all know that we do not have enough childcare providers at the moment. We have to make sure we have enough childcare spaces for people. We constantly hear of people, and I am sure it is also the case in Sligo, who cannot go back to work because they cannot find a childcare provider. That said, I understand the Senator's concerns in relation to the privatisation of services.”
“This country has benefited hugely from trade deals but we also need to make sure that all food, beef in particular, that comes into this country is of a sufficiently high and healthy standard for the people of this country. Senator Cosgrove raised the ambulance service and the issue of public services being given to private providers. We had a very good discussion in the Chamber yesterday on the Order of Business about the service that ambulance personnel provide across the country. A number of weeks are available between now and the next possible strike day to make sure that the concerns of ambulance staff are met and a compromise between both sides can be found. As the Senator said, if people are going into negotiations with preconditions, that is never helpful. Most negotiations should start with no preconditions.”
“The Government cannot buy helicopters in Ireland but it can give employment contracts to companies in Ireland for maintenance of equipment. A debate on that could be quite useful so I will contact the Minister in that regard. Senator Joanne Collins raised the great news about Senator Nicole Ryan. She also spoke the EU Mercosur deal and Brazilian beef. As has been said, this is exactly the reason Government parties were not in favour of that deal. It would be helpful to have a full debate on the issues raised by the Senator. Mercosur was a very controversial topic before Christmas in the context of decisions made by this Government on the deal.”
“Obviously it is important that the Defence Forces have money to buy much-needed equipment, whether that is helicopters or other necessary equipment. The type of helicopter purchased is a matter for the Defence Forces themselves and it is not for the Minister to get involved in that level of micro-management. However, as the Senator said, it is important that spending is in line with long-term Government policy in terms of supporting the Defence Forces. He outlined how all of this equipment has come from one country. In any expenditure decisions we make as a Government we should be trying to find ways to support Irish businesses, whether that is in the area of defence or any other area. There are lots of Irish companies, including one in County Louth, that would be very good in providing maintenance of Defence Forces equipment.”
“As he said himself, a stroke can happen at any age, not just his own. It is something that needs to be talked about more. There is a very good person in Tipperary, Mr. Martin Quinn, who holds a stroke conference every year in Cashel. Senator Clonan attended it this year. The conference focuses on the signs of stroke and the things that need to be done to recognise them. Support and recognition should be given by the Government going forward and I am sure a debate in this House would be helpful in that regard. Senator Craughwell issued an invitation to Members to attend an important discussion on the issue in the audiovisual room. He also spoke about the purchase of four helicopters by the Defence Forces.”
“It can be incredibly frustrating and I know many people who have gone through four, five or six competitive processes, have almost got to the end and have bid over what they can afford - they know it themselves but just want to have a family home - and are still losing. It can get very depressing for people. I am not sure of the countries that do it now, but it is certainly a very interesting suggestion and is worth having the debate with the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, on it, whether that is a full debate on housing or a Commencement matter. That debate would be very welcome by many people in Ireland who find themselves in that incredibly frustrating position. Senator Craughwell spoke today about a presentation happening in the audiovisual room regarding hypertension and stroke.”
“One of the challenges, and Senator Duffy and I have numerous friends in this position at present, is that people are looking to buy their first home. They are getting a mortgage from a bank, which is a challenge in itself for many but luckily, there are measures in place to allow people to get mortgages. They look for their dream home for where they want to live and they think they have a mortgage that fits the requirement to buy a house. However, it transpires that because of the competitiveness of it, they are sometimes not even close. I see houses in Tipperary that have an asking price of €360,000 and they are going for €540,000 and €550,000.”
“According to the Senator, there are cases in Kildare where they have not and we will raise that with the Minister and ask for a debate. There have been many debates regarding Irish Water - committee debates and others - but we will raise it with the Minister. The Senator also mentioned the new Guinness plant being built down in Kildare. It is another great example of big investment happening outside of Dublin and creating jobs in rural Ireland. She gave two examples of that in her own area and obviously, that is to be welcomed. Senator Duffy talked about being out meeting people in Dublin Central and Galway. I am sure he is meeting people in Mayo as well. He brought up a very interesting point.”
“Senator O'Loughlin raised this morning an inclusion event in the Curragh Racecourse, congratulating and celebrating all the individuals from different abilities who are involved. She also spoke about water outages. This is obviously something that comes up in this Chamber a lot as regards the lack of communication from Irish Water. It is a real frustration for people in communities, particularly those that have a constant outage of water for one reason or another. The very least a member of the community would expect, if they did what Irish Water asked them to do, which is register and sign up to receive text messages or emails on when outages would happen and most importantly, when they were resolved, is to receive those text messages once they have signed up.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach and all my colleagues who raised matters this morning. Following the contributions from all Senators, I wish our colleague, Senator Nicole Ryan, the very best on the wonderful news of her new baby girl being born this morning. We all wish her well. Many of us in this Chamber understand the excitement and joy of a newborn baby coming into the world. It is such a special time for her and her family. I suggest we write, or the Cathaoirleach might write to her on behalf of all Members of the Seanad, to congratulate her on this wonderful news. She will have a busy time ahead, as many of us know, but I am sure she will manage the days and weeks ahead.”
“and to conclude not later than 4.45 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; No. 56, motion 1, Private Members' Business, motion regarding An Garda Síochána, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament Midlands North-West constituency, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 2026 - Second Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to conclude not later than 3.15 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed three minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, statements on the Action Plan for Insurance Reform 2025-2029, to be taken at 3.30 p.m.”
“A lot of it has to do with updating decisions made about how people are treated and where ambulances go. That system has only been updated twice since the 1940s and really needs an update soon.”
“When we talk about a new Ireland and immigration, we always have to remember these people give so much to this country and support this country very significantly. We need to make sure that they are protected in work and outside of work and that they feel appreciated. For all nurses and midwives across Ireland, it is important we as a House recognise the huge contribution they make. Also in relation to health, there is a protest today by the National Ambulance Service. It is a normal protest, which is welcome. It should be recognised that the service needs support. It needs more financial support. People who go into that work give an awful lot and work hours totally outside of the normal 9-to-5. It is not just pay and conditions. I spoke to a paramedic a number of weeks ago.”
“I also acknowledge today as international nurses and midwives day. I agree with the comments made by Senators Clifford-Lee and Cosgrove about the work nurses and midwives do across this country. I saw when my two sons were born the calmness and professionalism midwives show in doing their work. I spoke last week in the Chamber about the work nurses do, particularly in Tipperary University Hospital, Clonmel, and the service they provided when I was in hospital with sepsis. It was a nurse who spotted it and, luckily, I survived it. It is important to say many of our nurses are not Irish-born. The services they provide are critical to people in this country. It was mentioned that 22% are from India and 8% from the Philippines.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann, in accordance with Article 15.1.3° of the Constitution, hereby determines that the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy may meet in Wexford Town, County Wexford, on a date in 2026 to be decided by the Committee, in order to hear from community groups, locals and stakeholders on the progress made at Lady’s Island Lake; provided that, pursuant to Standing Order 91(3), Members may participate in such meeting from within the parliamentary precincts by means of the videoconferencing platform approved and provided by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.”
“It is not always but it is predominantly men committing this. To think that number of people across the country are affected means it needs to be highlighted more, funded more and supported more. As the Senator said, gardaí need to be more training to deal with this. That concludes the Order of Business.”
“In fairness to the previous Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, she did a lot of work on domestic violence and abuse towards women in hidden environments and trying to support them. In County Tipperary we have a really good women's refuge called Cuan Saor. The numbers of people they are dealing with has gone to record levels in the past number of years. They have received good investment from Government, which is welcome, but it does not match what is needed to deal with this. In the long term there is an educational perspective on this in terms of how men need to treat women. We think this exists in other countries and cultures but it is right on our doorstep, given there are 65,000 calls made. Some of those could be repeat calls but either way, it is a hell of a lot of calls against predominantly men committing this.”
“This is one of many issues that the Government and future governments will have to deal with when dealing with an ageing population. It is great that the average lifespan of a person in Ireland is 82 years. It is higher than most EU countries. However, that comes with other challenges for the Government to deal with. It is important that it does that. I suggest to Senator Mullen that he table a Commencement matter on the issue and I am sure the Minister would be happy to respond. The final contribution was from Senator McCormack who spoke about domestic violence. It is shocking that 65,000 calls are made to the Garda. The Senator said there was just over 1,600 in her county of Laois. A lot of this stems from the Covid period four or five years ago. It has really come to the surface.”
“At whatever level it is, people should be able to be proud of where they are from and have the flag they feel is for where they are from. Surely there has to be some sort of compromise in this. We do not really have this situation in rugby, which is a prime example of a sport where some players on the team identify differently from the majority of the team. However, there is a compromise in that. Every game they play, the Irish flag is flying the whole time so I cannot see why the Irish national sheepdog team cannot find some sort of compromise. Senator Ronan Mullen spoke about the 9,000 additional doctors that are going to be needed over the next 20 years. This is an obvious example of the need to invest in education to get more doctors to come through the system to meet that requirement.”
“She has called for a national plan to fund this. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on this. Obviously we cannot have radiation machines that are not working or fit for purpose. We put so much money into the Department of Health, with funding more than doubling in the past ten or 15 years. At the very least, we need machines that actually work. As the Senator said, 50% of cancer patients have to use these radiation machines. Senator Brady spoke about the Irish sheepdog team and the very strange situation whereby they are not allowed to fly the Irish flag. Listening to what the Senator said, and it is important that he has highlighted the issue in the Chamber, this is stopping someone from expressing their identity.”
“The sports capital grants are due to be announced quite soon. With regard to the terms of reference of the sports capital grant, it is important that we make sure funding is available for people with disabilities in sport. There are so many examples right across the country of inspiring people who have disabilities and who can achieve great things in sport. The more funding they get, the better opportunities they have. Senator Conway and I know Peter Ryan in Tipperary who became visually impaired and had a great career in cycling afterwards. He is a real inspiration for a lot of people around the country. He is one example of many people. Senator Harmon spoke about cancer care in Ireland and had very worrying information that 80% of the radiation machines in the country are due to be out of date in the next two years.”
“It is UEFA really that makes the decision on it. It has happened already. I cannot remember who Israel played against but it has happened already. I know it is in discussions with other countries in terms of how to deal with it from a security perspective. If you talk to Israel, the country it is most frustrated with is Ireland in terms of what we have done against Israel and in support of Palestine. I support Deputy Andrews on the flotilla and I will make sure the Department of foreign affairs is aware of his concerns and worries for the Irish citizens. We have done a lot and we will do more. I am with him on the occupied territories Bill as well. Senator Martin Conway called for a debate on disability in sport. He has always been very vocal on this. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan.”
“The Senator said that Ireland is looking the other way in terms of dealing with Israel. I disagree on that. I think we have done a lot more than other countries. In terms of the football - the Senator and I are both big football people - it is not a matter for the Irish Government. It is for the FAI, UEFA and FIFA to deal with. I have spoken to the FAI about the game. A number of people also did so about two months ago regarding concerns about it. No one wanted Israel's name to come out of the hat when the draw was made for the Nations League but we have to deal with it. It is not for the Irish Government to decide what the FAI does in terms of playing.”
“Senator Andrews spoke about the flotilla that has been taken over by the Israelis. He spoke about it two weeks ago and predicted this. Obviously, he has experience of it. It was not an amazing prediction because it was fairly obvious Israel was going to do it. It is another example of the kind of heavy-handed approach that Israel takes against law-abiding citizens who are not in Israeli waters. At the time, a number of weeks ago, Senator Andrews asked that the Department of foreign affairs be there to support Irish citizens. It will be. It has been before, as Senator Andrews knows. Obviously, the advice at the time was not to go but I can understand why people feel the need to go and help. The Department of foreign affairs will be there to support them.”
“There are things that need to be done in that regard but a lot has been done already. There has been huge investment in rural Ireland. Less than ten years ago, we set up a Department for rural affairs, which is all about investing in rural Ireland and giving people options to be able to stay, live, raise a family and have a life in rural Ireland. There is certainly more we can do. Regardless of what side of the House we are on, we constantly put pressure on IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to make sure, when they are creating jobs around the country, that they are not just in Dublin, Cork and Galway but also in rural communities so people can live and raise their families in rural areas. I acknowledge it was a very good debate but there is a lot that has been done and we certainly need to do more.”
“There will be two rounds of sports capital grants in the lifetime of the Government. I know Senator Ní Chuilinn has spoken numerous times about the large number of locations across Dublin that do not have the same sort of sports facilities as there are in other countries. Senator Keogan spoke about the AILG conference in Clonmel. I was at it as well. I hope Senator Keogan was looked after in Clonmel. I hope she spent some money in Tipperary and helped our local economy. It was a very good conference and I acknowledge Councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan, who is president of the AILG this year, hosting a really good conference. There was a wide range of discussions, particularly a debate on rural Ireland and the changing population, which is very important. There was a really good discussion on that.”
“It is our job to make sure it is fair. In terms of being arrested and following the guidelines imposed on him, he has done everything right in that respect. We will make sure the Department of foreign affairs is aware of the case. I am sure it is but we will make contact with it. Senator Stephenson also spoke about the flotilla and the Irish citizens on it. I will answer on that when I reach Senator Andrews. Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about the lack of sports facilities and gave the example of St. Audoen's school. This is a very good example of people who are going against the odds. She congratulated the school on winning its league. To do it with no pitch makes us think about how good the team could be if it did have a pitch. We have a sports capital grant that, hopefully, will be announced fairly soon.”
“If doctors are unwilling to see 12-year-old kids, there is a very serious problem. I will contact the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, about the case and I hope Senator Tully has done the same. Senator Stephenson spoke about an Irish citizen who has been detained in Germany and has not had the access to his legal team that he should have, and his treatment over there. It sounds appalling. I had heard of the case but I do not have the full details of it. I know he has been there for five months and is being treated very poorly. As Senator Stephenson said, this is an EU country that really should not be doing this. I will contact the Minister for foreign affairs about the case but I hope the Department and the embassy in Germany are doing all they can to support Daniel. He has to go through a court case but it should be fair.”
“Only for an amazing nurse from the Philippines, who noticed and diagnosed very quickly that I had sepsis, it could have been an awful lot worse. I ended up in the ICU for two weeks after that. These things can come on very quickly and the case Senator Tully spoke about is a prime example of not having people there. To say a doctor was not available to see the child would suggest there is some mismanagement in Cavan hospital, if that is the case. I hope she has highlighted the case to the Minister and that the Minister can get some answers for her. To see anyone go through sepsis is awful but in this case there were parents witnessing it in their 12-year-old child. We do not have to be clinical experts to realise it. The only way sepsis can be dealt with is to have people spot it very quickly.”
“The Senator is right, however, about the need to have a debate with the Minister for Social Protection to outline where we are with the other 50% of issues that need to be dealt with and consider when they will be dealt with. Senator Tully spoke about the very sad case of a 12-year-old boy who went for what was seemingly a simple operation to his appendix in Cavan hospital. It turned into a case of sepsis and a life-threatening situation. She outlined exactly what happened in the hospital to the child and parents, and the fact that no doctor came. She told us that the child then developed sepsis. I have personal experience of sepsis. I was in hospital three years ago for an infection and I was in for two weeks. I was told I would be out in 24 hours but an hour after the consultant told me that I was in a terrible way.”
“Senator Joe Conway spoke about Family Carers Ireland, representatives of which were in Buswells Hotel yesterday to share a report on work done by the Government since it took office in the context of the programme for Government. Family Carers Ireland does a lot of good work. Ms Clare Duffy and others in the organisation do great work. There are 34 objects that the Government wants to deliver. That is to happen in the lifetime of this Government. Although 50% are progressing well, others are not. We are only 18 months into this Government and that programme for Government is a commitment for the lifetime of the Government.”
“When 25 of 27 countries across the EU have banned such activity, we should be having a debate to discuss it. Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the safe routes to school programme, as she has done regularly. She made a very good suggestion. Every parent who has children going to school is always worried about their safety. I see it in my own school in Grange, County Tipperary. Cars travel at high speeds and all you need is one incident for something to happen. The safe routes to school programme costs a lot of money and cannot be applied to every school across the country. However, what can be done is that a smaller level of funding could be provided, as the Senator suggested, for highlighting to drivers that they are coming towards a school and need to be careful.”
“I thank the Senators who made contributions. Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the national lottery and the loss in the revenue it is making because of betting on the national lottery through other betting avenues. She has asked for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Chambers. I will contact his office to see if that is possible. It is important to recognise that the national lottery contributes 30 cent of every euro spent back to communities. Right across the country, communities have had work or something beneficial done to their village or area because of support from the national lottery. That is important to recognise. If people are spending money on betting on the national lottery through other outlets, that money does not go back to local communities. Something should be done.”
“The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the proposed approval of Seanad Éireann of a meeting of the Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy in County Wexford, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 2, statements regarding fuel supports to the fishing industry, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude at 1 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks by the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than seven minutes to reply to the debate.”
“I am sure the Minister, his Department and Cabinet are doing everything to try to improve the national figures of homelessness, but particularly, from a personal point of view, child homelessness needs to be prioritised. I welcome that was part of the announcement in November but we are six months on and we really need to see that being delivered and progressed by the Department. I am interested to hear the Minister's response on that.”
“I am sure there is something happening behind the scenes but I certainly have not seen what progress has happened since February. Will the Minister outline what has been done in the Department since that public consultation closed because it has been six months since the announcement of the action plan. Every month, we see the figures increase. Every month, we see more children in emergency accommodation. We always have deadline figures of things to meet but, for this, it is critical that we have it completed by 2026. Obviously, it needs to be expedited, it needs to be prioritised and there need to be targeted measures in that space.”
“I know the Minister launched a public consultation - in January, I think it was - on that child and family homelessness action plan. I think the consultation finished in February. Seeing as the Minister is in the Chamber today, will he outline in his response where that is at the moment? I know the action plan is meant to be completed by quarter 2 of 2026. We have started that and we are not near the end of quarter 2 of 2026, obviously. The consultation finished in February. In my view, it is one of the most critical parts of that action plan for homelessness. What has the Department been doing since the public consultation finished in February? I have been keeping an eye on it since the announcement in November but, since February, I have not seen too much happening.”
“It does not take into account the increased population from inward migration and people we need to protect and support. I think 40% of that figure, or just over 40%, are Irish citizens who are in emergency accommodation but obviously we want to support everyone. On a personal level - and I am sure the Minister is the same - it is incredibly upsetting when you see children and families in emergency accommodation, whether that is families with one single mother or families with two parents. The fact there are children in emergency accommodation is incredibly upsetting. It is why, when the action plan was announced in November, it was really welcome that child and family homelessness was prioritised in that action plan.”
“That cost rental provides accommodation for people at a value 25% below the market value, which gives people much more options and flexibility in regard to where they live. We want to see that ramped up; the Minister does too, I am sure. Again, 6,000 houses is quite significant. As the Minister himself knows, we see the monthly figures of homelessness increase and it is upsetting. It is almost a stick that is thrown at the Government sometimes when you see social media posts and protests. Homelessness is always talked about and that there are 15,000 to 17,000 in homelessness. It is portrayed as 16,000 or 17,000 Irish people who are homeless. It does not matter whether it is Irish or non-Irish; it is not right and we want to house everyone. However, it is not a true reflection of the situation.”
“I welcome the Minister to the Chamber and thank him for coming in again to conclude this important debate on homelessness. As Senator Flaherty said, I think it is agreed by everyone in both Houses that homelessness can only be solved by building more houses. That is just a fact. The figures for 2025 were very much welcomed and we obviously have targets to hit over the next four years and the lifetime of this Government. I have no doubt that the work the Minister's Department is doing is to achieve those targets and hopefully go beyond them. Certainly, last year's figures were quite positive and give us positivity going forward. There was good progress on social and affordable accommodation, which is extremely important for what we are talking about. There was good progress on cost rental, with 6,000 houses.”
“I know about it because a lot of people in west Tipperary go to the hospital in Limerick. The numbers are not acceptable, at more than 100, and are more than double those in Galway, which is in second place. That is not acceptable. We had good news with the opening of the new section of the hospital and the new site, but the Minister for Health has not been in the House in some time to debate health issues and, in particular, University Hospital Limerick. I will speak to her office to see if it is possible to have a debate. There is good news for Limerick, which is positive, but those trolley numbers need to come down. It would be good to have an opportunity to discuss the matter.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, is doing a lot of work within his party on discussing which options there are going forward and which decisions need to be made. I am sure when he is available to discuss those matters with Members of this House, he will be more than happy to do so. The Minister of State has always been available, in fairness, to come to the House to discuss anything relating to planning. He is eager to try to ease the pressure on people who want to build in rural Ireland and who want to live in their villages or homes. I think he will be able to do that soon. I will speak to his office to see whether he will be able to come in. Senator Dee Ryan spoke about trolley numbers in University Hospital Limerick. It seems that this matter is always on the agenda.”
“Senator Boyhan thanked the Leader's office for the additional time for today's debate on fuel. It is an important debate to have. The Minister is available, so it has been possible to extend the debate. That is good. It will be an opportunity for the Minister to outline the supports available to farmers because a number of measures are being brought in. It will also be an opportunity for Senators to raise any concerns. It is important that we have the debate today and that it is lengthy enough to be fulfilling. Senator Boyhan spoke about the Galway by-election and rural housing guidelines. As he said, anyone from a rural community will understand that there can be a great deal of frustration about the guidelines relating to building houses in rural areas.”