George Lawlor
Wexford · Labour Party · Ireland
“I commend my colleague, Deputy Eoghan Kenny, on bringing this motion to the floor of the Dáil. One line from his contribution this morning is at the nub of everything, where he said, "Poverty should never determine potential." That is the key component of this motion.”
“The ESRI and University of Limerick found that three in ten secondary schools mandate digital devices, including 17% of DEIS schools - the very schools serving families least able to absorb these costs.”
“Parents who are already struggling with rising rents, food prices and energy costs are now being told that, without a laptop, their child will fall behind. It is shameful that the State's own free book scheme savings are being wiped out by digital demands that schools have no business imposing without the proper funding.”
“We are calling for enforceable guidelines, proper ICT funding, a national loan scheme, the removal of exam fees, the reversal of transport fee hikes, the restoration of the back-to-school allowance and a ban on voluntary contributions that are voluntary in name only. Families cannot take any more.”
“At the outset, I would like to join, as everyone here has, in warmly welcoming to Leinster House Cian and Jordan Adams, the FTB brothers, and also Cian's partner, Helen, who played such a vital and key role in the whole 33 marathons in 33 days. They are most welcome.”
“The programme for Government commitment, in particular the statutory home care scheme, must be something we seriously look at bringing into being following its insertion in multiple programmes for Government.”
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“Hundreds if not thousands of people, the safest of drivers, have been caught for speeding and given points. People are coming to me saying that it is not so much the fines that break their hearts. These are individuals with unblemished licences who are being issued with points. I ask for the Minister of State's personal intervention on this. The camera is welcome. This is an issue of signage. The road is dangerous but, we need to ensure fairness for people.”
“I refer to these tragic figures to indicate to the Minister of State that the measures we were taking in terms of enforcement of seat belt use, drink-driving and safety and in bringing the people along with us were working. When we put the resources into combating deaths on our roads and improving road safety, they actually work. In the context of a road safety camera strategy, it is essential that we roll-out static cameras. I want to raise again - the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be familiar with this - the static camera in Glenmore in County Kilkenny, which is causing turmoil for thousands of people. You are in a 100 km zone, you arrive at an 80 km speed sign and you do not have time to slow down safely and correctly before you are right on top of the camera.”
“With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's blessing, I welcome the boys and girls from Castlebridge National School in Wexford. It is a historic place in Wexford. In fact, the Castlebridge team was the first Wexford team to win an all-Ireland hurling championship. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle, being a Kilkenny man, will no doubt look at that fact with envy. The measures that were taken over the years in relation to road safety were working. If we look at the figures for 2018, we can see that, tragically, there were 139 road deaths. That was the lowest in modern times. The number of people killed in one year on Irish roads 40 years before that was 628.”
“It does not have any rationale available despite the fact that it tells schools to look for it. The notion that no one within the organisation knows where to go to find it is quite baffling. I am sure the Minister of State will agree with me in that regard.”
“From the conversations I had with the deputy principal and the head of special education teachers in the school when they visited me at my constituency office in Wexford, I know that they tried everything multiple times but no one within the organisation could provide them with the rationale, which seems to be a key component of the appeals process. What does this say about the entire appeals process from the start? Are all schools advised to seek the rationale? The fact that the school could not even be told where to get the rationale and the regional manager said he was seeking guidance indicates to me that there is a bit of chaos within the NCSE when it comes to processing the appeals system. It throws something of a blanket over the appeals process and suggests that it is a matter of just ticking a box to say “Computer says “No””.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the response. Obviously it is not her core area so I understand the difficulty she finds herself in. I am holding the letter from a principal officer which was sent to say that there would be no change. Within the letter the school is advised to seek the rationale. I appreciate that the Minister of State said herself that this issue does not apply just to St. Aidan's school in Enniscorthy. It is a huge primary school, particularly when one considers all the supports that are required. A letter was sent to the school informing it to seek a rationale for what was required while, at the same time, no one within that organisation, from the bottom to the top, could tell it where to get that rationale.”
“I will acknowledge that I contacted the head of the NCSE and he came back to me after a couple of days to say it would be investigating the matter. To put the staff through the wringer on this and not supply the rationale that the school was requested to seek is simply not good enough in the context of the stress that already exists within these schools.”
“There is a ten-day period to appeal. The school went numerous times to the regional manager, the SENO and the NCSE. The NCSE came back with no clarity, no advice and no direction. No guidance could be provided by the staff there as to how they would access the rationale for the SNA review. In the end the school had to submit its appeal to the NCSE without any access to the rationale that it was encouraged by the very same NCSE to acquire in order to submit the appeal. This is a major school with massive support requirements. The teaching staff and the SNAs are put to the pin of their collar to provide a decent atmosphere and a decent schooling for the myriad children in the school who have additional needs. It simply is not good enough.”
“It was told that there would be no change to the SNA allocation and that the whole school SNA allocation for 2025-26 would continue at 15.75 SNAs. The letter the school received from a principal officer in the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, stated that this decision can be appealed. The details of the appeals process can be found online. In the letter, the NCSE advised the school to seek a rationale for the outcome prior to the submission of any appeal. Therein lies the problem. Those in the school tried up and down and back and forward. They went to the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, and they went to the regional manager of the NCSE. They also went to the NCSE itself but nobody could give the school the rationale. They were encouraged to seek the rationale to add to their submission of their appeal.”
“Of these pupils, 38 have a single diagnosis and 17 of the pupils have multiple different diagnoses, including general learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, ASD, speech and language disorder and severe intellectual disorder. Five pupils within the school are type 1 diabetics. There are also children who suffer from social and emotional behavioural difficulties, and children with anaphylaxis, epilepsy and physical disabilities. There are 36 pupils in mainstream classes with a diagnosis of ASD at different levels and as of yet the SNA allocation that covers both the special classes and the mainstream settings remains unchanged at 15.75 SNAs. Therein lies the difficulty. The school appealed the outcome of the SNA review it requested.”
“I wish to raise the issue of the appeals' process in the allocation of special needs assistants, SNAs, in the context of the treatment meted out to St. Aidan's primary school in Enniscorthy in Wexford. St. Aidan's is one of the largest DEIS band 1 vertical primary schools in Ireland. It is exceptional in scale for a primary school, with 861 pupils. It has seven special classes, 36 mainstream classes and 76 teachers and has been awarded 15.75 SNAs. The school currently has 54 pupils attending the seven special classes, all operating at level 3 support. The vast majority of the pupils here have care need plans and require regular access to an SNA.”
“One hundred tickets a week are going to Wexford people who use this road, which is the main Waterford to Wexford road. Can the relevant authorities be asked to improve upon this? People are suffering and being penalised rather unfairly.”
“Last year, the N25 around the area of Glenmore in County Kilkenny was the recipient of a much welcome static speed camera. However, because of inadequate and poorly placed signage, this camera is penalising even the safest of drivers. Literally thousands of drivers have been caught by this static speed camera because there is no adequate signage. People driving at 100 km/h have to drop to 80 km/h when they see the sign but given that they come into the camera's zone within 50 or 60 yards, they have no chance to adjust their speed properly. I spoke to a woman recently who received three penalty notices, in other words nine points, in the space of a week as a result of the poor and inadequate signage to which I refer. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will probably agree, this has energised the people of south Kilkenny and Wexford.”
“They are asking for a Government that listens, acts and recognises that a strong economy is built on strong rights, strong protections and strong collective bargaining. I look forward to attending the May Day celebrations at the Lock-out Gate, commemorating the 1911 Wexford lock-out, next Friday evening. I urge anybody who is available to attend those.”
“It calls on the Government to commit to ending age-based pay discrimination and the poverty wages imposed on young workers, to increase statutory sick leave to ten days as originally promised when the legislation was introduced during the pandemic, and to bring forward legislation before the summer recess to fully implement the pay transparency directive. This motion, which would be strengthened by the Labour Party amendment, is about fairness, dignity and economic justice. It is about ensuring that work pays and that the prosperity of this country is shared by those who create it, day in, day out. Workers are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair deal.”
“They form a pattern of choices that consistently favour employers over employees and short-term political convenience over long-term fairness. Our amendment will call on the Government to take the actions that workers urgently need, including the introduction of a cost-of-living mini-budget to index income tax bands and credits in 2026, backdated to January just like the others, alongside targeted energy credits and other supports funded by a levy on windfall energy profits and reversing the hospitality VAT cut.”
“Since the general election, the Government has repeatedly voted down Labour Party legislation designed to strengthen workers' rights, including Bills to end age-based pay discrimination by abolishing subminimum rates for young people and ensuring that apprentices and interns receive at least the minimum wage, Bills to strengthen sectoral wage-setting through JLCs by ending the employer's veto, a Bill to provide a real right to remote and flexible work, not merely a right to request it, and the introduction of statutory paid medical leave for cancer screening. The Government is on course to miss the mandatory deadline of 7 June 2026 for transposing the EU pay transparency directive, a directive designed to close the gender pay gap and empower workers with information that they are entitled to. These are not isolated oversights.”
“The Government failed to index income tax bands and credits in line with the wage code for PAYE and self-employed workers. At the same time, it introduced an improved diesel rebate scheme backdated to January 2026, and other sectoral fuel supports. Once again, ordinary workers were left behind while selective reliefs were prioritised.”
“Imagine us having the audacity to demand that employers attend joint labour committee, JLC, talks. Upstairs downstairs is alive and well in the bastions of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. We must call out the Government's recent decisions that have repeatedly undermined workers' rights and living standards. That is why the amendment we propose is necessary. Our amendment notes that in budget 2026, the Government provided a VAT reduction to the hospitality sector costing €232 million in 2026 and €681 million in 2027, with no requirement that employers engage with trade unions or participate in joint labour committees. This is a sector where low pay and precarious work are widespread, yet the Government attaches no conditions to ensure that workers would benefit.”
“They strengthen the economy as a whole but instead of embracing these benefits, the Government has rolled back on statutory sick pay commitments and delayed the introduction of a living wage until 2029. That delay leaves low-paid workers exposed for years to come. This is why this motion calls for a legal right to collective bargaining, for workplace access for unions, for aligning the minimum wage with the living wage, and for expanding access to flexible and remote work. Motions and Bills that the Labour Party has brought forward in this Chamber have been vehemently opposed by this Government. They are not even being facilitated to go to Second Stage for fear of upsetting big business and the friends in high places. These are not radical demands. They are basic standards in many European countries.”
“The working in Ireland survey shows that 44% of workers who are not currently in a union would join one if they had the opportunity. That is a powerful indication of a demand for collective representation, yet Ireland remains an outlier in the European Union. We still do not provide a statutory right to collective bargaining. We lag behind other EU member states on paid annual leave, and while other jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland, are moving forward with ambitious, good jobs legislation, this Government has stalled, delayed and diluted its commitments. The evidence is clear for all to see. Trade union membership and collective bargaining raise pay, improve productivity and reduce staff turnover.”
“I listened with interest to this afternoon's Taoiseach's Questions, where An Taoiseach spoke about how he represented workers and not billionaires. The simple fact is that this Government is one of the most anti-worker Governments to govern in this Chamber. While this Government often points to record unemployment levels, those headline figures mask a deeper problem. As has been said already, one quarter of all jobs in Ireland are classified as poor quality, low paid, insecure, and absolutely lacking basic protections. This is not a small minority. It is a major issue in our labour market. Workers are telling us this. The 2026 Ireland Thinks poll, commissioned by ICTU, found that 52% of workers did not believe that they were paid fairly for the work they did. That figure was even higher for women and those on lower incomes.”
“This debate goes to the heart of what kind of economy and society we want, and what value we place on the people whose work keeps this country running every single day. We are living through a cost-of-living crisis that has not eased and shows no sign of easing in any way, any time soon, for ordinary households. Inflation may fluctuate on paper but its impact is felt in every weekly shopping bill, every rent payment, and every energy bill. Workers are doing everything. They are working hard, contributing to the economy and paying their taxes, yet too many workers still find themselves struggling to get by, week in, week out. This weekly struggle is not inevitable. It is the result of political choices.”
“We in the Labour Party are pleased to support this motion. I am pleased to move the amendment in my name and those of my Labour Party colleagues. This debate goes to the heart of what kind of economy we want-----”
“On behalf of the children in Wexford and across the country who will be affected by the removal of these designations, I urge the Ministers to review and reverse this decision because it will have such a great impact on the affected children.”
“We must be absolutely clear about what this designation means. MGLD status is not just a label; it is a lifeline. It ensures that children with mild general learning disabilities receive tailored teaching, smaller classes, specialised resources and an environment built around their strengths and challenges. Removing this designation does not modernise education or streamline services. Instead, it strips away protections that were put in place because the children in these schools needed them. Parents have said repeatedly that this school is not just a building but a community that understands their children in a way that mainstream settings simply cannot. Teachers have warned that removing the designation will scatter vulnerable students to environments that are not prepared, resourced or trained to meet their needs.”
“I will speak about the impact of the Ministers' proposals on moderate general learning disability schools. The future of children relies on schools like Our Lady of Fatima School in Wexford town. The Government's proposal to remove its MGLD designation threatens to dismantle the very support system that these children depend on. I am delighted to see Darryl, chair of the parents association, and his daughter, Grace, a student at Our Lady of Fatima School, in the Gallery this evening. People across County Wexford have said plainly that this proposal is misguided and will be harmful. It disregards the lived reality of families, the expertise of teachers and the needs of children, who deserve the specialised, consistent and compassionate education provided by Our Lady of Fatima and schools like it right across the country.”
“The Tánaiste will be aware that since Brexit, Rosslare Europort has seen an increase in freight of some 350%, which is obviously very welcome. However, Rosslare Harbour village is inundated with trucks parking right across the village. This is despite the existence of the old customs post. When I say old, it was fully refurbished, resurfaced and lined out and has capacity for approximately 50 trucks. However, it is locked and inaccessible, and in the meantime, people in the village have to endure trucks parking all over the place. I ask that a bit of common sense would be used and this old customs post, which was totally refurbished prior to the massive investment in the harbour at Rosslare, be made available to allow trucks to park up while they wait to board ships.”
“We need the development of the Wexford campus as part of that. The money was made available in 2015 to purchase the site and it was only concluded in the past six months. Wexford is one of the largest counties in Leinster. It is bigger than Waterford or Carlow in population terms but it is left behind. In principle, this Bill is excellent but it leaves the door open to parochial politics whereby certain Ministers can pick certain projects and leave the rest behind.”
“Families have been left waiting almost two decades for movement and development on this. Their land has been sterilised and stigmatised. I have dealt with families who for the want of 2 yards to maybe build a home on their land have been told it is part of the overall project for the motorway, and I have dealt with people whose homes and businesses have been left. Despite this, these critical pieces of infrastructure have been delayed and delayed. We see the offshore renewable energy potential off the coast of Rosslare. It is critical if we are to meet our 2030 commitments. This week we have seen that if we are to break our dependence on fossil fuels, we need offshore renewable energy as part of critical infrastructure. There is also the area of education and my colleague from Waterford spoke about the South East Technological University.”
“There are many concerns in terms of the reduction in transparency. We have seen pre-legislative scrutiny waived and a limitation on public participation. Overburdening of agencies is another issue. We have seen that MARA is totally overrun given the amount of regulatory work to be done there. It creates opportunities for political influence over project prioritisation. We as a nation have seen the damage political influence has caused when it comes to major infrastructural projects. In my constituency a number of critical pieces of infrastructure simply need to be fast-tracked, which have been neglected over the years. These included the Oilgate to Rosslare motorway, which is the final piece of the jigsaw from Larne to Rosslare Harbour. Rosslare Europort has seen an increase of 350% in freight traffic since Brexit.”
“We know that the explanatory note for this Bill says that its purpose is to allow Government to designate specific infrastructure projects or programmes that it considers to be critical. The Bill does not reference specific projects or programmes. It provides Government with the power to designate projects or programmes as critical infrastructure. Section 3 provides the Government the statutory powers to designate a project as a critical infrastructure project or programme, done in this case by Deputy Chambers as the Minister for public expenditure. In practice, it represents a major shift towards speed and centralised co-ordination in infrastructure delivery. However, there are major concerns with this Bill given the history of infrastructure and the parochial nature of politics in this country.”
“This family-run hotel has been in existence for 131 years. Mr. Bill Kelly has said that the hotel will come under serious pressure if we endure another bad winter. It has to be said that €7.5 million was made available in 2018 for coastal protection works on the strand, but that is still at the planning stage. The strand and this particular area of the strand will not sustain another winter of storms, and we will be in a situation of economic catastrophe for the area of Rosslare Strand because of the impact on Kelly's Hotel. I ask the Tánaiste and the Minister of State to give a commitment that emergency works will take place before the summer.”
“I want to raise with the Tánaiste the urgent and rapidly evolving situation with coastal erosion in Rosslare Strand. County Wexford is suffering more than many counties with coastal erosion as we move along. I am glad to see that the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is also in the Chamber. Perhaps he could also give a response to this. We have a crisis in Rosslare Strand at the moment, particularly in the area adjoining the famous and iconic Kelly's Hotel.”
“We have a system that many gardaí believe is weaponised against them, a system where even the most routine interaction can spiral into a multi-year ordeal and a system where a single complaint, no matter how trivial or unfounded, can hang over a garda's head like a noose. That produces fear and paralysis with gardaí second-guessing themselves at every turn, often afraid to intervene or act and afraid to do the very job we expect them to do for fear of sanction for the most minor of diversions. I have witnessed this first hand in Wexford.”
“A mass exodus of experience, early retirements, resignations, and a force that is haemorrhaging talent at the very moment communities are crying out for more gardaí on the streets, like my own town of Wexford. This is a legacy that many gardaí associate with that period of leadership and unless we confront it honestly we simply cannot begin to repair the damage. The crisis does not end there. The influence of GSOC, now rebranded as Fiosrú, has cast a long shadow over front-line policing. Oversight is of course essential, as is accountability, but what we have now is very different.”
“-----stated in a media interview that "a culture of fear" had been created within An Garda Síochána and that an environment had been created where "gardaí are working with one arm tied behind their back". This was from a brilliant now retired cop in his fifties. That is what the Harris era defined, with, it must be said, the acquiescence and forelock-tugging of a number of former Ministers for Justice from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Instead of leadership that inspired confidence, gardaí experienced leadership that bred resentment. Instead of support they felt surveillance. Instead of empowerment they felt intimidated. What was the result?”
“This week, Wexford-based retired superintendent Denis Whelan, one of the best, most effective and diligent gardaí I have ever encountered-----”
“This motion addresses a crisis that has been allowed to deepen within An Garda Síochána, an institution that is fundamental to the safety and well-being of communities across this country. The facts outlined in this motion are stark. Garda numbers have fallen, morale has deteriorated, and confidence, both within the organisation and among the public, has been eroded. This motion seeks not only to diagnose the problem but to set out a credible path towards rebuilding a modern, community-centred police service worthy of the trust placed in it. There is no doubt that the tenure of former Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, left deep scars across An Garda Síochána. Many gardaí will tell you quietly and privately that they felt targeted, undermined and treated with suspicion rather than respect.”
“Protection must be afforded to the many sectors that rely on the use of vehicles of all shapes and makes to keep their heads above water. We will be supporting this legislation, but there certainly are questions that need to be answered.”
“We know that if we fail to act to support this industry, the consequences will be felt far beyond the haulage yards. They will be felt in every corner of every county across the entire country. While we have to pass this legislation, we also have to demand answers. We have to demand fairness. We have to demand that fuel suppliers act responsibly and transparently. There is absolutely no way that we can facilitate this. The Irish people will not be taken advantage of at a time when families and individuals across the board are put to the pin of their collar to live anything approaching a semblance of normal existence. I am glad to hear that coach and bus operators are included in this. However, we also have taxi drivers and people who must meet spiralling transport costs in their businesses.”
“We demand monitoring of fuel pricing behaviour. We demand accountability from suppliers who seem to believe that crises are opportunities for profit rather than moments for responsibility to assist everyone. Families are not asking for special treatment; they are asking for fairness. Workers who have to commute to work are asking for recognition of the essential role they play in our economy. They are asking for support during this moment of global instability that they did not create and cannot control. We absolutely understand the importance of the haulage industry to this economy. We see the trucks on our roads. We see the goods moving through Rosslare Port and other ports. We see the livelihoods that depend on a stable affordable transport sector.”
“It certainly cannot expect the public to swallow the idea that price increases are immediate but price decreases require time. This House should not tolerate it, the public will not tolerate it and the Labour Party condemns it in the strongest possible terms. The Government is stepping in with reductions intended to support consumers at a time of deep crisis but if we allow this behaviour to continue and suppliers delay passing on reductions, it means that support is not going to the consumers, workers and small businesses struggling to survive, but is going straight into the pockets of companies exploiting volatility for profit. That is not a functioning market. That is not fair competition. That is not acceptable in a country that claims to value fairness and transparency. While we support this legislation, we also demand oversight.”
“Yet now, when prices are falling and the immediate shock has eased, fuel industry representatives are telling us, as reported in the Irish Independent this morning, that it will be some time before reductions are reflected at the pumps. Prices went up like the rockets that were falling but are coming down like a feather. I say without hesitation that this behaviour is unacceptable, opportunistic and profiteering. It is gouging on the double. People cannot have it both ways. It cannot be that prices are raised overnight when global markets spike and then feet are dragged when those same markets stabilise or, indeed, when the Government intervenes, as is happening tonight. The industry cannot demand sympathy when costs rise and then refuse to show fairness when costs fall.”
“If this measure is a response to the extraordinary shock triggered by the attacks on Iran, then the timeline must make sense. Is this simply a date chosen for administrative convenience? The Minister owes this House a clear and unambiguous explanation. People deserve transparency and honesty. There is another issue, which goes beyond Government policy and strikes at the heart of the behaviour of certain actors in the fuel supply chain. It is time to call it out plainly. When the attacks on Iran occurred, prices at the pumps rose instantly - not gradually, not cautiously but instantly. We were told the global markets had reacted, suppliers had no choice and the increases had to be passed on immediately.”
“Supporting this legislation does not mean giving the Government a free pass. It does not mean ignoring the gaps, inconsistencies and unanswered questions associated with it. There is one question in particular that demands an answer. Why has the Government chosen to backdate this rebate to 1 January? What is the difference between the haulage industry and the thousands of householders across the country who have been struggling, week in and week out and for months upon months? We have all heard the stories of individuals and families having to make the choice between food and fuel. Do those people not deserve the same treatment, the same rebate and the same relief? Is their lobby group not as effective or influential?”
“As for every loaf of bread on the shelf, every medical supply delivered to hospitals and every export leaving our ports - none of it happens without the trucks that are on our roads day and night. In my county of Wexford, this is not just theory. It is central to the economic reality of a county that is home to some of the largest haulage companies in the country. Be it Rosslare Europort, our agricultural producers or our manufacturing base, Wexford depends greatly on the haulage industry, just as does every other county on this island. Thousands of jobs directly and indirectly rely on a functioning, affordable and stable transport sector. When fuel prices explode overnight, it is not just hauliers who suffer but also every family, every business and every community that depends on the sector.”
“The Labour Party supports this emergency legislation. We support the rebate because the haulage industry needs relief and it needs it fast. We must act with urgency and a sense of responsibility to the workers and businesses that keep this country functioning. This emergency legislation is not technical and nor is it distant from the daily lives of people. It deals with a crisis that has struck at the very heart of Ireland's supply chain. The sudden and severe spike in fuel prices following the attacks on Iran is drastically affecting large swathes of our constituents. The haulage industry is not just another sector in Ireland; it is the circulatory system of our economy.”
“Eventually, after the intervention of my colleague, Councillor Vicky Barron in Wexford, the family was contacted by the children's disability network team, CDNT, and told that another therapist was on leave and nothing could be done for weeks. However, the did have a solution, in that it would fix the wheel of the old, unsuitable and unsafe wheelchair. This young woman has now been confined to her family's sitting room for the past two months. This is just one example of a dysfunctional, crazy system that serves nobody.”
“I want to talk about Simona Demyter, a young 20-year-old Wexford woman who in 2019 was diagnosed with an extremely rare illness. Since that time, she has relied on a wheelchair but has outgrown it, the current one being too small. Last October, an occupational therapist called, did all the assessments and told her she would have a new wheelchair in a few weeks, but she never received it. In January, a wheel broke and she was told by the technician who came to fix it that it was unsafe and she should not use it any more. The family then discovered the reason for the delay was that the occupational therapist went on extended leave and never passed on the documentation. The file effectively disappeared from the system.”