Gillian Toole
Meath East · Independent · Ireland
“It made a significant contribution to discussions around the introduction of mandatory digital devices in post-primary education. It highlighted parental concerns regarding the cost and compulsory purchase. The roll-out was halted in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic and remote learning and having one's own device become an essential.”
“I am thankful for the opportunity to discuss this important matter. I acknowledge the massive improvements that have been made. The national broadband plan is almost complete. Massive inroads have been made in my home county of Meath, including in the roll-out and the access it provides.”
“I apologise if I am repeating what other Members have gone through. The information is there. The plan and suggestions are effectively worked out for us. What we need now is to expand on the policy.”
“Like it or not, it may mean pulling back from the commercial one-to-one contract between the family and the provider and centralising it. That will encompass centralised State procurement, standardised device specifications and collective purchasing arrangements, having guidelines, and having additional targeted financial supports for sch…”
“I raise intergenerational music sessions, and we spoke about young people and their involvement earlier. These are also pivotal. It could be listening only, listening and singing, singing along or watching a choir. These will all help improve the multiple memory systems from episodic, semantic to implicit memory.”
“The reduction is significant - around 30% for developing cognitive impairment, 23% for all-cause dementia and 34% for Alzheimer's disease. Arts are linked to demonstrable neurological changes in the brain, lower deposits of amyloid beta, and lower numbers of lesions in the white matter of the brain.”
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“Will the Taoiseach now commit to the establishment of an independent, external investigation into the handling, or non-handling, of these serious reports by An Garda Síochána, the Department of Health and the Department of justice? Will he publish the correspondence and internal assessments, which thus far have resulted in no investigation being opened?”
“Despite the seriousness of the allegations and repeated good faith to follow-up, no meaningful investigation has been undertaken to date. Fiosrú, the body tasked with examining such inaction, has received complaints about this failure to investigate crimes and has thus far failed to act. Government Departments and State agencies are implicated, yet all people in Ireland are equal before the law. Our Constitution does not allow the State to shield itself from scrutiny. There is a profound conflict of interest here. The Garda cannot credibly investigate wrongdoing when those accused sit within the structures of direct Garda oversight and funding.”
“At this point, every Member of Dáil Éireann has received an email with information about protected disclosure, PD17/2025. That protected disclosure was made by a conscientious health professional. I am raising it as a matter of utmost gravity because, as far back as June and July of this year, that healthcare professional has attempted to get the matters relating to public health addressed by HIQA, the Department of justice, the Department of Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, to name but four. At this point, the lack of the issue being addressed goes to the heart of public trust in our democracy. The submission is evidence based and contains a combination of clinical information and ethical common sense.”
“Perhaps it will be found that a hybrid retaining elements of the current structure of votes from 20 Oireachtas Members or four local authorities is the solution. Whatever the outcome might be, discussions must commence imminently to review the process and plan ahead for the future. We have a considerable amount of time to do that. I do not know whether a new Oireachtas joint committee needs to be formed or if this is something that can come under the remit of the Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen. There are others more knowledgeable than me on this matter and I hope a solution can be found. In the meantime, nothing will change the prospects of this Friday's election. As I said at the outset, I wish both candidates well.”
“I will keep my commentary simple and straightforward. I missed the other contributions as I was at a committee. I wish the best of luck to both candidates on Friday. More importantly, I wish them a good recovery next week when the adrenaline and cortisol levels start to subside. I hope they avoid any illness. It is fair to say that a percentage of the population is disenfranchised facing into this election. What that signposts us to do is take on board the recommendations in the 1998 Oireachtas review. It is common knowledge that the Constitution of 1937 is not contemporaneous. We have had referendums to try to bring the contemporaneous element to it. We must have a process that starts at the level of the 31 local authorities and interfaces with the public. We must look to a possible filtration process of candidates through the councils.”
“I hope the public finance procedures, review and strengthening of rules will all contribute to further latitude for improved budgetary measures and that all of the other areas that were not necessarily met in this budget can be serviced in Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 by just tightening up on our management.”
“Whether we are running the family home or a small business, accountability, efficiency and productivity are key. If we can manage the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves. I welcome the forthcoming review of public finance procedures. I hope to God there will be very prudent use of data for targeted forward planning for budgets Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5. Tightening up of expenditure management rules and how they apply to the different Government Departments will be absolutely critical and pivotal to future success. I have to say it is infuriating from time to time if I listen in to the Committee of Public Accounts or I read through the C and AG report about missed targets and overspending. Then we hear from chief executives of certain organisations that people have moved on and the funding is irrecoverable.”
“There could be targeting for different professionals, be they gardaí, student nurses or older people at ground-floor level, where sustainable communities close to services can be developed. Pilot projects were carried out successfully in the early nineties around the country, most notably in Temple Bar, even with its pluses and minuses. The learning may already be there, and perhaps there is even scope for fast-tracking and increasing the roll-out. There are areas of County Meath - for example, Kells and a couple of small areas like Dunshaughlin - where, again, it would be a matter of strengthening that community environment and providing targeted housing opportunities for different age groups and different career groups. I welcome a matter that is of particular interest to me, having been a small business owner.”
“The increase in the income disregard for carers has to be acknowledged as a move towards abolition of the means test, as referenced in the programme for Government, which, again, like the budgetary process, is a five-year plan. There are a couple of areas I wish to pick out. There is scope for further expansion and benefit in the second year, the third year and so on. I refer to regeneration, the targeting of over-the-shop living and dealing with dereliction and vacancy. As I walk even from here to Busáras at night or into Leinster House in the mornings on the return journey, there are second, third, fourth and fifth floors of buildings that are ripe city-centre locations providing passive surveillance.”
“As many others have said, this is the first budget of five. We will not all be happy. There are pros and cons to everything. Fundamentally, to try to balance books, deliver fairness and target assistance to the areas that are most necessary and deserving is an almost impossible task. I will acknowledge the targeting of funding towards education, disability matters, healthcare, housing and, hopefully, public transport or transport infrastructure through the national development plan when we get to that stage. They are the key elements of at least giving a fair start across all elements of society such that everybody will get a fair start. What is done beyond that and how that is enabled is most important.”
“It is undeniable that Dunboyne college is a very deserving case for the future and expanded distribution of funds from the National Training Fund.”
“Students are basically going around all County Meath. The statistics on decarbonisation are frightening. I know we are looking at maybe 2027 onwards for potential use of the funding. I do not want to scare the daylights out of anyone, but a few of the basic daily functionality issues are fire safety, disability access, poor circulation space, narrow corridors, inadequate staircases and single toilets in units, not even toilet blocks. The campus is located in an industrial park, the BER certificate ratings are very poor, and there is inefficient heating, inadequate natural ventilation and poorly insulated buildings. Despite this, 1,400 students are enrolled, with 93 staff members and over 70 courses available.”
“With the emphasis we have all placed on special education, Dunboyne college will be uniquely placed in a highly populated area to provide the training needs of students in that field. I am grateful for the engagement of the Department and the personnel of SOLAS in helping the executive of Louth and Meath ETB to progress the preliminary business case. In regard to the potential use of the fund for the capital aspect, Dunboyne college absolutely makes the case. I will give some of the statistics as a refresher and I apologise if it is repetitive. The annual rent and transport costs are €900,000. The college is 100% leased across 27 units, with 23 landlords. The college is occupying five second-hand prefabs in an area zoned for industrial use. There are six off-campus specialist centres, so that is contributing to a very high transport cost.”
“It is serving a population of approximately 454,000 people and a large employment base across the five counties. The college has expanded from its genesis in 2003, with 80 pupils and five courses, to a current enrolment of 1,400 pupils, 93 staff and over 70 courses in key areas we have identified, namely, healthcare, social care, education, childcare and science, with an array of pre-university courses for students to transfer on to Maynooth University, to the echnological university, to DCU and further afield, including Trinity most recently. Next week, Maynooth University will introduce a new nursing course, with Dunboyne as a feeder college. With all of these courses, Dunboyne college has the agility and the flexibility to be a college of the future to grow and meet the needs of the economy and the employer.”
“I welcome and support this amendment to section 7 of the National Training Fund Act. I am extremely interested in and grateful for the discussion that we have had. This process in itself is a learning process for me. It will not be any surprise to either the Minister or the Minister of State that I want to focus my attention on Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, ETB, and Dunboyne College of Further Education and its hopeful transition to soon becoming a college of the future. I think the college will meet the criteria outlined in the amendment to the Act. Its vision is to meet the further education and training needs of the community of learners and employers it serves in five counties, including the Minister's county, Kildare.”
“If we take, for example, Irish whiskey and the ingredient not containing an Irish grain, let us consider wine from the Chianti region but the grapes coming from Chile. I am not displaying a particular lifestyle trend but, following on, another example is champagne made with grapes from New Zealand and not from the Champagne region. To go back to our porcine friends, another example is Parma ham where the ham is from South America or any other jurisdiction. This is essentially what we are at. We need to put the jersey on very quickly. It is fair to say the asks are very concise. We want clear food labelling so that consumers can make an informed choice and know they are getting a native product, which is almost carbon neutral or carbon zero, and see how it compares.”
“They are super foods in their entity and whether people are carnivores, herbivores, vegan or vegetarian, Irish grain is something that underpins all parts of the diet and is highly nutritious. For that reason, while the supports are very welcome and acknowledged, if we take into consideration that highly important contribution to the health and well-being of every individual in this country, never mind those who benefit from our exports, and the vagaries of the weather, while this year's budget announcement is most welcome, there is a strong case for bringing forward a multi-annual package because the variables are too high in this instance. One of these variables is the importation of grains from other jurisdictions that do not meet the same criteria as our product must within the EU. The pitch has to be levelled.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle, an Aire agus an Aire Stáit - an triúr agaibh. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for this opportunity. I would also like to acknowledge the information and support given to me by Meath IFA and the Irish Grain Growers group who have presented to the committee. Rather than repeat the statistics that have been so forthcoming from all parties and none today, as we are all very much aware of the shrinkage, the reduction in acreage and the numbers of farmers in the tillage community, I will focus my comments on the health impacts. "Let food be thy medicine," as Hippocrates said. We are what we eat and, indeed, what we eat eats. If we take the Irish grain, it comprises of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre, zinc, iron and magnesium.”
“Again, our gratitude is frequently expressed in this House to Tidy Towns volunteers and to local heroes enhancing the built environment, fostering pride and a sense of place, and enabling us to take note of our surroundings. The fifth theme of tomorrow's World Mental Health Day is taking notice. We are encouraged to enjoy nature, practise mindfulness and have moments of gratitude close to home. I pay particular tribute to the increasing number of teachers, early years educators and community practitioners who support individuals, classes and groups in experiencing mindfulness practice. I will give a shoutout to a local person, Ms Una Curran, who is running a mindfulness and well-being course in support of Ratoath Men's Shed this evening. Our most basic purpose is to treat others the way we would like to be treated.”
“Phase 2 of the land use review must be published as a matter of urgency to ensure the adequate provision of parks and open spaces and community buildings. They are so important in a rapidly developing county such as my own, County Meath. The third theme of "keep learning" includes recommendations of access to education for all, exploring workshops, courses and lifelong learning. I am very grateful to the library services in Meath, such as those in Ashbourne, Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin, which continuously offer all of these courses and more, especially in building and being points of valued connection to our older people. The theme of giving includes volunteering or getting involved in local groups that make a difference.”
“Affordable, accessible and efficient means of transport are also essential for enabling these connections. In future, we must critically evaluate the far-reaching impacts of public health policies on anxiety, isolation and depression, particularly from 2020 to 2022. It is fair to say those are ongoing. Various sociological and psychological evidence is showing deleterious and ongoing effects on anxiety, loneliness, our immune systems and ageing. Under the "be active" heading are enjoying local walks, joining sports clubs and participating in outdoor activities. They all release our happy hormones, such as dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. Planning and development must make adequate provision for these simple and necessary community infrastructure elements.”
“I am very grateful to members of the emergency services, the healthcare professionals, Meath River Rescue and all of the people who work with people experiencing a crisis in their mental well-being and who try to bring them back to a path of recovery. Healthy Meath, this year, in line with the WHO's recommendation, has five ways to well-being: to connect; to be active; to keep learning; to give; and to take notice. Our purpose in these Houses is to enable all of these ways to well-being. We are human beings, after all, not human doings, and our purpose should be to try to enable and to reduce barriers and remove obstacles. Under the theme of connection are meeting friends and family, attending leisure and sporting groups and building positive relationships. They are all very beneficial to our well-being.”
“I am very appreciative of all the discussions I have heard, both in the Chamber and in my room today. There is a fantastic exchange of knowledge, diversity of debate and agreement on many subjects. I have edited out the bulk of my commentary rather than be repetitious. I will keep it with a community focus. I welcome the annually increased and increasing budget funding and the improving fiscal and human resources to date. There is probably uniformity of agreement on much more needing to be done. With the community focus in mind, I am most grateful to the various community and voluntary groups in County Meath - the men's and women's sheds groups; the ICA groups; Foróige; SOSAD; the youth diversion projects, the age-friendly and the older person's councils - all of which foster that key ingredient of connection.”
“If there are any measures that can give us some stability and buoyancy at the same time, then sovereign debt is one of those areas. I would also like to see increased payments into the Future Ireland Fund and the management of that fund to copper-fasten our self-sufficiency. As I said, the devil is in the detail. There is a huge amount of information to read. The publications have been extremely helpful. I will leave it at that point.”
“Overruns in spending will have to be investigated in a timely manner with the necessary course correction. There is a willingness there, and there is the renamed Department of public expenditure and the reform piece. I would be anxious to see what the format of reform actually drills down into. As I have said many times here on different subjects, accountability, efficiency and productivity are key to the delivery of the objectives of this budget for 2026. Without being repetitious, we have to run the country like we run a family home or a small business. Everything has a cost and everything counts. As a final point, I would like to see more consideration given to paying down our sovereign debt. As both Ministers said in their opening remarks, we have external challenges.”
“I am leaving aside the particular categories because I will be honest, I am wading through the different books and the devil is in the detail and the Finance Bill, when that comes to pass. That is where the meat will be on the bones. It is more important than ever that spending be clearly profiled, that it be managed within the year and reviewed, that there be ongoing costing of maintaining existing levels of service as our population grows, and that there be population growth through robust and fair management of same. We also have an ageing population. Even though an entity as large as the Exchequer will have huge complexities, micromanagement is essential. In any small business or family home, cost-benefit analysis is done on a daily basis and will be required regularly.”
“There is one area that, as a follow-on with regard to the cost of living, needs to be reviewed and amended, that being, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. If we recall last weekend, the wind howled for three days, yet we had a cut-off on our own indigenous wind energy at 500 MW because we had the agreement on an interconnector. There are specific areas that can be looked at. Moving on to housing, one initiative that is particularly welcome is the living city initiative. Dare I say, we all want it extended to other towns and not just cities. I can name a number in County Meath. There are even possibilities there for specificity in age categories and job targets, if we want to reduce dereliction and invigorate living in our towns and cities.”
“However, I await details of a specific tillage sector aid package and the 9% VAT reduction. I would request, and I think it would be common, that the latter could be implemented sooner, if at all possible, than July 2026. There are many small businesses hanging on by a thread and July may be just too late. I refer to accessibility to healthcare, a subject that is much debated and much commented on in this Chamber. Though not directly referenced in the budget, no less than €75 million has been allocated for a new pharmacy agreement. This will deliver improved accessibility to and affordability of healthcare in every community in Ireland and across all age classifications through the common conditions scheme, health screening initiatives and various other measures enclosed in that agreement.”
“I will begin by thanking all the departmental teams, the team in the Parliamentary Budget Office, and the ushers who were ferrying budget packages up and down today. I thank everybody who worked long, hard hours in preparation for this, in trying to go back over trends, looking through forecasting, looking at the global situation and then coming up with a plan that would try, first of all, to meet the objective I understood was the primary objective, which was to begin by targeting supports and measures towards those most in need. There are elements of it I could I say I am not happy with and that do not match objectives I may have submitted to our team but it is a starting point. The areas I welcome the increases in are the allocations across education, including special education, disability services and agriculture.”
“The impact in communities, the accessibility with on average 54 hours a week without an appointment must be maximised, and the profession is willing and able.”
“On the management of common diseases, this will be a game changer in reducing delays in access to general practice and accident and emergency departments. That is to be welcomed. There is one query that I have which is relevant to medicines availability and also future services, reviewing and analysis the early stages of this agreement. It is the issue of the chief pharmaceutical officer. What is the timeline for the appointment of a CPO to the Department of Health? Are there any plans to appoint a chief pharmaceutical officer to the Health Service Executive? These personnel will be key to the collaboration and co-operation piece under the strategic plan. I am no longer practising but having practised for 35 years it is in my heart.”
“Again, there is potential to bring this forward and have that as an actual process. The disposal of unwanted medicines properly has a beneficial cost impact, but also a positive environmental impact relating to water quality and human health in general. It is something I called for at county council level in the past. I am delighted to see it coming forward. On chronic disease management, a Sláintecare initiative, many of my colleagues in County Meath were involved in a Healthy Meath chronic disease management programme, which produced fantastic results. There were calls for cardiovascular screening and other initiatives. The sky is the limit, starting from this agreement, assessing patients' needs and factoring that into future projects.”
“Under the medicine optimisation process, for patients at high risk or medicines that have the potential for misuse, phasing will be continuing but it will be limited to a defined set of medications. If issues develop where patients are considered to be unsafe or where their care has to be reviewed, that will be possible to review under the strategic collaboration group. There are a huge number of opportunities, such as medicine usage reviews, and the issue of waste was addressed. On medicine usage reviews, I carried out a pilot with Dr. Martin Henman from Trinity College Dublin, TCD, 30 years ago. It was a paper-based effort but it was fantastic. We would sit down every three to six months with patients and review their medicines, including even things they had at home. It was called a brown bag and it was on an ad hoc basis.”
“It is an excellent start, 16 years since the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, adjustments after the 2009 contract. There is massive potential here. This is a case of community pharmacy moving forward in conjunction with the medical profession. That is across the board. It is not one or the other; this is a collaborative effort. This will ease pressure on general practitioners and accident and emergency departments. It is all about getting the right medicine to the right person at the right time. Community pharmacists are medicine experts. There is a medicine optimisation process with a commensurate fund. Members have expressed a fear of phasing, and that phasing may be scaled out. That is not at all the case.”
“I wish to convey my most sincere thanks to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to the officials at the Department of Health, in the Health Service Executive, and in particular my former colleagues, as I am no longer practising, in the Irish Pharmacy Union, in particular Kathy Maher, the contractors committee and the executive, who have done sterling work over the years, which is now being recognised. This is a case of tús maith leath na hoibre. I take on board suggestions that colleagues made. I assure them that they are embedded in this agreement, and in conjunction with the soon-to-be formed strategic collaboration group, all the suggestions that have not been addressed will be through that structured format, which did not exist prior to this.”
“Ultimately, the improved well-being of the State depends on fostering, valuing and nurturing a caring and compassionate society. It should not be entirely about the monetary aspect but that part is moving in the right direction. It is just not practical to do it all in one fell swoop.”
“As someone who worked in healthcare, I would crunch the numbers and say, "Yes, it possibly could be done away with". The upper-level cost would be €459 million, which possibly could be done in one budget. That sum could be taken from the HSE, transport, social welfare, etc. However, the practicalities of doing that render it impossible. There are system changes to be invoked and perhaps even a culture change. There is the accountability, efficiency and productivity aspect, including changing work practices at the back end of all this, to make sure, as speakers have noted, that payments are made on time and the reject percentage is reduced. Apart from crunching the numbers and modelling, we have to prioritise the dignity and respect that should be afforded to people in caring roles.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I thank all the family and young carers who carry out their tasks on a daily basis and save the State an absolute fortune. I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, the Parliamentary Budget Office and my predecessors in the regional group, particularly Denis Naughten, who did substantial work on this issue and contributed to the position we are in today. To restore a little balance, and it is vindicated to some extent by Family Carers Ireland in its budget 2026 proposal document, we have, since 3 July, met the single carer's allowance payment of €625 and the couples payment of €1,250, with the previous and current programme for Government committing to abolish the means test by 2027.”
“I will give a final example of where an anomaly exists in Carlanstown, County Meath, in the context of bringing young children to the ASD unit at O'Carolan College in Nobber. As it stands, for those who were lucky enough to receive tickets, their parents still have to drive them 4 km to the bus. The response from the parents is that if they are on the road anyway, they might as well keep on going to the school. I have every faith that the situation will improve.”
“Using data to plan ahead does not seem to be happening, but given the mark the Minister of State is making by working with the NCSE and getting organised earlier, can school transport planning begin earlier as well, based perhaps on existing school enrolment numbers, the new NCSE forward planning with early booking and inviting parents to apply earlier for school transport? This could be in January or February each year rather than in April. An example of multifunctionality that I give would be a Local Link service in Meath that could do the commuter run early in the morning to the train station, the school routes at 8 a.m. and then, perhaps, at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. bring older people to their services, with the reverse being done in the evening beginning, maybe at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. up to 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.”
“Education is a freedom and enabling children and teenagers to participate and achieve their own personal goals is of paramount importance. School transport is a significant part of that enablement. The Government has made great strides in the area of special education and the improvements include working with the NCSE to bring forward timelines, so I am wondering why in this area we still have the annual anxiety, chaos and disappointment for children and parents. Apply in April, pay in June and maybe have a ticket in August. I suppose this is not something that came upon us suddenly. In 2015 we had the Paris accord and in 2018 we had the UNCRPD, so there was plenty of flagging there.”
“The first is the political will to manage migration. The second is the economic interest in having more migration. We must restore the dignity of manual labour, in particular in the care sector and in other services and industries that cannot be automated or outsourced and that we are going to need more than ever in the future. The third is meeting fundamental human rights obligations towards migrants, refugees and citizens alike. We are probably coming to the stage now where we are going to need a national conversation, about ultimately what type of society we want to live in. I hope that the opportunity to regularly visit this topic comes up. I am not sure what the timeframe is before it can be raised again, but five minutes between a group of six is very limited.”
“This is probably the most divisive issue in politics. It definitely deserves more frequent discussion. I have been requesting this discussion for the past six months, so I am grateful for my two minutes now. What will be Ireland's migration management plan for the positive net migration of 79,000 people to our country? How is Ireland's ability to cope in the following areas being measured and planned for: education, healthcare, housing, transport, policing and community safety? Forward planning and robust policies are critical for cohesion and the prosperity of everyone here. Currently, the only means of community engagement is the planning system, and even that is likely to be bypassed by the section 5 loophole. Examples of that are Kells, Ashbourne and Trim. We now find ourselves with what I would coin as a "quadrilemma" on our hands.”
“Funding of the Department is key, obviously, in the run-up to the budget deliberations. More as a comment than anything else, we must remember, first and foremost, that we are human beings rather than human doings and that is where the strategy is so important. GDP, of course, and economics are very important, but it brings that focus back. If we design our systems and services for disabled people, we will provide outcomes for everybody in society and enrich it.”
“I welcome the publication of the strategy and, most important, the commitments within it because that, in effect, is the roadmap. It will, most definitely, underpin the work of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters and it will be our reference point. Indeed, we are already taking elements of it and incorporating them into the work plan of the current term. Is the plan of action like to be published in December? The timeline was approximately three months. Key to this will be accountability and then the oversight of delivery. As for the Cabinet committee reports, where and when will they be available? As for the senior officials group, who are they and will that information be available? As for the delivery and monitoring committee, who are they and when will the reports be available?”
“I do not think there will be any shortage of extremely deserving, community-based organisations that will help people to recover and will also help safeguard young people and deliver them from life-limiting and life-damaging interactions with the drugs trade. I applaud and commend the Minister for his work thus far.”
“I agree that further investment in the fiscal and human resources of An Garda Síochána is needed but investment is also needed in drug, alcohol and mental health supports, in collaboration with the HSE and the ETBs, particularly those that provide tutors to the local training initiatives and the special community employment schemes. I will refer to two in County Meath. The first is Meath Opportunities for Training, the local training initiative, linked to Tabor House, which supports people in recovery from drugs and alcohol. There is also the special community employment scheme in Navan, which assists people to regain life skills and to upskill. As we know from other debates in the House, there are funding gaps for tutors who provide this invaluable service.”
“This in itself is fantastic and it opens the door to other far-reaching work. The community safety fund is pivotal and the growth from €2 million to €4 million is welcome. It is important how the money is used within the communities, as is the use of data to target specific areas where it will be of most benefit and will be most far-reaching in enabling children to reach their full potential, while limiting the individuals who suck the lifeblood out of communities and families. I will not repeat everything that my colleagues have said. I see the Minister is taking plenty of notes. He does not need any more to add to his list. I want to mention two areas, for when funds are being distributed.”
“On a more serious note, I thank the Minister, his team and I presume the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers for the sterling work on what I consider to be a future-proofing and highly considered safeguarding of the next generations of the country. I also express my gratitude to our juvenile liaison officers. I will name two of them from County Meath, garda Barbara Kelly and garda Aisling Connor and the entire community team there, the support workers of the youth diversion projects, the community and voluntary leaders of the drug and alcohol task forces, the members of the strengthening families programmes and all of the volunteers who participate in night leagues and help with community buses. This is fantastic work and it sets the tone. I will not tell the Minister what to do next, or otherwise.”
“They log their complaints with Dublin Airport Authority and then that information is gathered together and we have Lden figures and Lnight figures. That information is passed to the Aircraft Noise Competent Authority for reports, etc. We have had episodes in the area of Ratoath and Ashbourne, and I am sure it would have been experienced by residents in Fingal as well, where it was not possible to log a complaint and there were hours, even days, on occasion where the real-time complaints could not be logged by residents. As somebody with a background in science where evidence and data are so important, putting these extra stages in place is increasing margins of error. Given its role and its authority for all other types of pollution, noise pollution going to the EPA would seem to be an obvious one for me.”