Grace Boland
Dublin Fingal West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I thank the Social Democrats for affording us the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It is one I have raised several times with the Minister of State. I know she is, as I am, committed to delivering homes for adults with intellectual disabilities in their own communities.”
“We have to have a plan, we have to deliver and we have to do more than just listen. We all understand the challenges and the demands, but we need to work together across Government and the local authorities and with the HSE, and we really have to deliver for these families.”
“I also acknowledge the good work of Prosper Fingal in this space, which also provides residential homes for adults with intellectual disabilities. We owe it to these families to move from discussing these proposals to delivering and having clear plans in place.”
“I am more encouraged by the Minister's most recent response. It is important that the public, as well as people working in the Civil Service and public service, sees the benefits of AI.”
“While I heard about a framework and a lot of training, I did not quite hear that we are actually measuring what cost savings, efficiencies and benefits there are, not only for the public service and Civil Service but to the people, our constituents and the public at large.”
“AI has enormous potential to reduce administrative burdens, improve productivity and free up public servants to focus on delivery. Will the Minister outline what measurable progress has been made to date in adopting AI across Departments and Government agencies, what gains have already been achieved and when we will see further gains?”
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“I also acknowledge the good work of Prosper Fingal in this space, which also provides residential homes for adults with intellectual disabilities. We owe it to these families to move from discussing these proposals to delivering and having clear plans in place.”
“We have to have a plan, we have to deliver and we have to do more than just listen. We all understand the challenges and the demands, but we need to work together across Government and the local authorities and with the HSE, and we really have to deliver for these families. The fears and uncertainty are too much for us all to bear, to be honest with the Minister of State. As the Minister of State knows, Remember Us has proposed a pilot scheme, homes for us, which proposes a community-based model that allows adults with disabilities to live independently while remaining connected to their communities and where they have grown up. I know active work is ongoing with the local authority and the HSE on this project. I would really like to see us move forward with a pilot project on this proposal.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for affording us the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It is one I have raised several times with the Minister of State. I know she is, as I am, committed to delivering homes for adults with intellectual disabilities in their own communities. I thank her for coming to Balbriggan to meet the amazing Remember Us, which is a parent-led organisation that supports not only children and adults with intellectual disabilities but also their families. It has built a wonderful community. I have had the privilege of getting to know this community. Its members have shared their hopes and fears, and we have shared tears. The Minister of State has heard this already here today, but the question we all want answered is what will happen to people’s sons and daughters when they die.”
“I am more encouraged by the Minister's most recent response. It is important that the public, as well as people working in the Civil Service and public service, sees the benefits of AI. It is important the Minister's Department makes sure there are measurable key performance indicators, KPIs, measurable deliverables and that the benefits and gains are clearly articulated to people. One of my concerns is that in using AI for efficiency, and we absolutely need to do that, we need to be careful not to leave people behind, particularly those who cannot use digital technologies, but also not to lose the authenticity of person-to-person communication. It is about striking a balance and I really think the Department needs to take a very central role in articulating that to the Civil Service, the public service and to the people we represent.”
“While I heard about a framework and a lot of training, I did not quite hear that we are actually measuring what cost savings, efficiencies and benefits there are, not only for the public service and Civil Service but to the people, our constituents and the public at large. Will the Minister confirm he will be measuring the real gains made in those terms?”
“AI has enormous potential to reduce administrative burdens, improve productivity and free up public servants to focus on delivery. Will the Minister outline what measurable progress has been made to date in adopting AI across Departments and Government agencies, what gains have already been achieved and when we will see further gains?”
“Dublin is buzzing with headline gigs, from Katy Perry and Calvin Harris to CMAT and many more, as well as many sporting events. However, what we do not have is a national major event transport planning framework. We really need this. It is impacting on people's decisions on where to go. People from Skerries and Balbriggan simply will not go to Marlay Park any more because getting home is too difficult. Will the Tánasite please talk to the Minister for Transport and instruct him to require the NTA to pull together a planning framework? If necessary, it needs to be a condition of licensing that a transport plan, bringing together event organisers, venues, local authorities, An Garda Síochána and the transport operator, is co-ordinated by the NTA so that people know how they can get home.”
“Before we move to the next question, I welcome the service users from St. Aidan's Services in Gorey and in particular Nicole, Ian, Donnchadh and Caroline, who are here with Deputy Brian Brennan. They are all very welcome.”
“The Minister, Deputy Lawless, has alluded to the awareness at second level of the importance of these various apprenticeship programmes and trades. We really need to be doing everything we can to encourage people into the sector. I would like to see the Minister continue to do his work in that space.”
“I thank the Minister. This is a point I made to the Secretary General of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment at the public accounts committee. There is money there and we absolutely need to invest in ensuring that we have retrofitting, and do everything we can to meet our climate targets, not just because of the financial consequences that might arise but because it is the right thing to do. We want people and families to be living in warm and fully insulated buildings. I would like to see the Minister's Department co-ordinate with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and with his colleague the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to make sure we are doing everything we can to make sure we have the skilled workforce to meet our climate targets and deliver for families.”
“It is good to hear that work is under way. What I did not hear is whether we know the numbers we need to get to. As the Minister said, a broad range of skill sets are required to deliver these homes. Is there co-ordination between the Minister's Department and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment? We know the targets we want to get to for 2030. Do we know the numbers of skilled workers we will need across the broad range to get there? Is the Department supporting that to ensure that there are sufficient programmes to deliver the numbers of skilled workers? I just did not hear that in the answer. It is really important that we have co-ordination. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment has substantial money, which should be used to support having a skilled workforce in place.”
“We know we have environmental targets. We know we want families to live in warm, fully insulated homes. That has never been more important, when we look at the geopolitical climate we are living in. However, there are real concerns as to whether we have the workforce to deliver warm, insulated homes - both new builds and retrofittings. How many do we currently have in training in the industry? What steps is the Minister taking to increase that to make sure that we not only meet our climate targets but help families to live in warm, insulated homes?”
“That is the Ireland I want to live in; an Ireland where everyone feels they belong, where nobody is targeted because of who they are and where our disagreements never come at the expense of our common humanity.”
“It influences conversations in workplaces, schools, sports clubs, community groups and online spaces throughout the country. Young people, in particular, are watching. They are learning what respectful disagreement looks like. They are learning how we treat people with whom we disagree. We have a responsibility, in every debate in this House, to ensure that the example we set is one of decency, respect and empathy. Pride gives us an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion but it should also remind us of something broader, which is that a strong society is one where people can be different, hold different views and live different lives while still treating one another with respect.”
“We will have different views on social issues, economic issues, local issues and national issues. Robust debate is healthy and essential, but there is a fundamental difference between disagreement and disrespect. We can challenge ideas without attacking one another. We can argue passionately for our beliefs without dehumanising those who hold different views. We can stand firmly for our values while still recognising the humanity and dignity of others. That is true when discussing Pride. It is true when discussing immigration. It is true when discussing housing. It is true when discussing termination of pregnancy or any other issue that comes before this House. The tone we set here matters. The language we use here matters. The examples that we provide matter. Public discourse does not stay in this Chamber.”
“We saw that recently in Fingal when my colleague, Councillor Luke Corkery, who is in the Gallery, became the target of online abuse following his post on the gorgeous rainbow road crossing which was painted by Fingal County Council in Swords. People are entitled to have views on public policy. People are entitled to agree or disagree with decisions made by local authorities. However, what is not acceptable is the personal abuse, intimidation and hostility that can follow. Nobody should be subjected to harassment for championing and supporting inclusion, nobody should be subjected to harassment for who they are and nobody should be afraid to participate in public life because of the abuse they may receive online. The reality is that we do not have to agree with one another. In a democracy we never will, and that is a good thing.”
“Across Ireland and around the world, we are seeing an increase in hate-motivated incidents and a hardening of public discourse. We see examples of people being targeted because of their sexuality, gender, race, religion or simply because they are perceived to be different. Much of this is amplified online. Social media has brought many benefits but it has also provided a platform for those who seek to divide communities, spread misinformation and pit one group against another. Too often, bad actors deliberately exploit people's fears and frustrations for their own political, ideological or financial gain. We know this division generates clicks. Anger generates engagement. Outrage generates attention. However, the consequences are very real for the people on the receiving end.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this debate and to mark Pride. Pride is at the heart about people. It is about recognising the dignity, worth and equality of every person in our society. It is about ensuring that people can live their lives openly, safely and authentically without fear of discrimination, intimidation or abuse. Ireland has come a long way. Many people in this House will remember a very different Ireland. We have made enormous progress thanks to the courage of those who spoke up, shared their stories and challenged attitudes. That is progress we should be proud of, but we cannot be complacent and we still have work to do. I echo Deputy Sheehan's call for the commencement of the provisions in relation to surrogacy.”
“I know the Minister of State touched on it earlier but my area has one of the longest waiting lists for assessments of need. What parents at home want to know is whether this protocol will help them get assessments and therapies? Will it make a difference to them? She might please help me give some comfort to families at home.”
“I thank the Minister of State. In regard to going forward and making sure that the lived experience of autistic people and their families included and that we learn from the experience they go through in this new process, can she confirm that there will be that ongoing structured engagement around any reforms, changes or tweaks made to the protocol, as may be required from the process?”
“I welcome the new autism assessment and intervention pathway protocol. It is an effort to bring greater consistency as to how autism is assessed across services. The success of this reform will depend on whether autistic people and their families feel that it reflects their lived experience. The Minister of State might please advise us as to what engagement took place with the autism community in developing the protocol.”
“I know the Minister of State said that some new posts had been allocated, but given the demographics and the rapidly growing area that Fingal is, will the Minister of State tell me how often the allocations will be updated and reviewed and are they sufficient for the demographics of the area?”
“I welcome the reductions. I really do not profess to know the science behind this but there is movement of children from CDNT lists to primary care and there is movement of children on CDNT lists from Balbriggan to Swords. I am not really sure why all of that happens, but I want to make sure that the children and families who need the therapies are getting them. While numbers look like they are reducing, I am not sure that the children have actually got the therapies they have sought. The other thing I would like to raise is the fact of the allocations generally.”
“I very much welcome the investment in disability services, funding for additional posts and the allocation for behavioural supports and speech and language therapy. However, when I look at the raw figures, I see that every single post for Balbriggan is underfunded. We are supposed to have six occupational therapists but there are only five; instead of five speech and language therapists, we only have 3.6; there are two physiotherapists rather than four; and we have two psychologists instead of four. It is a similar picture for Swords, with only one psychologist in place instead of four. As the Minister of State knows, early intervention is absolutely key to addressing the issues we are discussing and to supporting children and their families. While posts have been allocated, we do not have people in post.”
“As the Minister of State knows, the Fingal area is one of the youngest areas in the country and Balbriggan is the youngest large town. However, our CDNTs are creaking. Will she give an update on whether the vacancies that have been persistent for the past couple of years have been addressed and where we are in terms of staffing levels for the CDNTs in both Balbriggan and Swords?”
“I ask the Minister to look at that again and at what is included in the onus on the DAA in making this application. Finally, I raise the question of the national aviation policy. When will we see it? If we are serious about balanced regional development, we must ensure that regional airports are also supported to grow and reach their potential. Dublin Airport cannot and should not carry the entire burden of national connectivity. I welcome progress on this important legislation but I urge the Minister to ensure the DAA genuinely acts as a good neighbour to those of us living and working in north County Dublin and to strengthen the legislation to make sure the DAA must demonstrate it is a good neighbour in any application to the Minister.”
“We also need a fit-for-purpose and fully integrated transport hub at the airport, with practical measures such as sufficient ticketing infrastructure, including Leap card facilities, until such time as we have contactless payments. I also raise a concern in relation to how the Bill is drafted. As it stands, it allows the DAA to apply to amend or revoke the passenger cap but it does not require that application to include concrete proposals on traffic mitigation, noise reduction, insulation, buyouts or any meaningful engagement with affected communities. Nor does it require those protections to be in place before the order is made. In effect, it creates a pathway for expansion without ensuring from the outset that robust and forceful protections are in place for those of us living close by the airport.”
“I am tired of hearing explanations that do not align with the lived experience of residents. I simply do not understand how this issue has not been resolved by now. The third issue is traffic. A credible and detailed traffic mitigation plan is not optional; it is absolutely essential. Increased airport capacity will place additional pressure on the already strained M50 and M1 corridor. At the same time, as the Minister knows, Fingal is delivering much-needed housing at pace. That will further increase traffic volumes. We also have to factor in the disruption that will arise from the construction of MetroLink and the DAA's infrastructure development plans. The delivery of a western access road from the M2 is critical.”
“They must be strengthened if we are serious about maintaining community trust. The second issue is flight paths. Following multiple engagements with the DAA, the IAA, Department officials and local residents, I have to say that I am none the wiser on flight paths. What I do know, however, is that something has changed in the last few years. That is obvious to anybody living in north County Dublin, to people working or playing outdoors, to families who were not previously impacted by noise, despite living beside the airport, but now are, and to anyone sitting on a plane departing Dublin Airport where aircraft frequently bank sharply after take-off. Adherence to safe flight paths that genuinely minimise the number of people impacted is absolutely essential.”
“The DAA has repeatedly said it is acting as a good neighbour to residents, community groups and sports and outdoor organisations affected by being close to the airport, in particular in relation to noise and traffic, but the Minister and I both know from our direct engagement with constituents that this is simply not the lived reality for many people. I urge the Minister to instruct the DAA to act fairly and genuinely invest in surrounding communities. That means widening the voluntary dwelling purchase scheme, offering fair and appropriate buy-outs to families most impacted and significantly expanding the noise insulation scheme so that homes receive high-quality, modern insulation that actually works. These measures already exist in principle but are too narrow and too limited in their application.”
“-----in Malahide Castle have been half trains. They have left people behind in Donabate. I am sure the Minister will be concerned about that. I welcome the steps being taken to remove the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. We are an island nation. We depend on connectivity. A cap on our capital city's airport, as the Minister said himself, is a cap on our growth. Dublin Airport is not only an employer of approximately 130,000 people; it is also a gateway through which Ireland does business, attracts foreign direct investment and connects to Europe and beyond. As a TD for Dublin Fingal West, or north County Dublin, it is a constituency I know to be the best in the country in which to live and work. It is also the constituency where the airport is located. I must raise a number of issues with the Minister.”
“As trains have been mentioned, I might take the opportunity to ask the Minister to engage with Irish Rail to make sure the 5.48 p.m. train from Drogheda Pearse to Malahide on Saturday evenings is a full eight-carriage train as the last two Saturdays with the gigs on-----”
“If hundreds of electric, zero-emission buses sitting in storage represents value for money, I would like the Department to publish a full cost-benefit analysis, the opportunity cost and the opportunity lost. Will the Minister of State please confirm that the Department will do that?”
“The public accounts committee has, after protracted correspondence, finally got to the bottom of where we might be in terms of the cost of storage of 384 buses over the last four years, with 98 electric buses still in storage. These are much-needed buses that should be servicing our community. Will the Minister of State specifically tell us the cost of those electric buses, and also the projected cost, given that we are still counting for the 98 buses still in storage?”
“The summer provision has worked well for many years now. It has supported families and in particular children with disabilities but this year has not gone to plan. Schools have no certainty about summer provision, July provision, in particular in relation to the home-based school provision. Parents are supposed to source teachers and SNAs to provide this. We are seven days out from schools closing and parents have no certainty as to whether their children have been accepted. Can the Taoiseach confirm urgently that parents will receive confirmation today in relation to home-based provision? For next year can we really encourage that this be provided within schools rather than outsourced to parents?”
“At a recent meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts, the Minister's Secretary General and I discussed retrofitting and delivering energy efficient homes. She acknowledged that is a real issue and there is a workforce gap. Has the Minister's Department made an assessment of that gap? What measures is he taking to address it? The Minister mentioned an extra 1 million EVs on the road. What we really need is better public transport. In Fingal, as the Minister knows, we need better public transport. We need local buses to connect our sprawling towns with train lines. We need the electrification. I ask the Minister and his very capable Secretary General to work with urgency to deliver all of these climate measures to ensure that we meet as much of our target as possible by 2030.”
“While I welcome the progress that is being made, the EPA, as it stands, is telling us that, at best, we are only going to meet half of the targets that we need to meet for 2030. What urgent additional measures is the Minister and his Department considering to try to bring us further forward in reaching our 2030 goals?”
“As we look ahead to budget 2027, we need to go further in making work pay, particularly for families balancing work and childcare, in ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with population growth and in making sure that the significant investment being made is delivered effectively and visibly. For many working families, the question is not whether progress is being made; it is whether they can feel it in their everyday lives.”
“The public needs confidence that funding is not just being announced but is being delivered effectively. It needs to see projects completed on time, systems working as they should and services improving in a way that makes a tangible difference in people's daily lives. That responsibility sits across the State, in the Departments and agencies and across the public and Civil Service. Ultimately, this is about trust that investment leads to delivery, that policy decisions translate into real improvement and that the system is working in the best interests of the people it serves. Taken together, taxation, childcare, commuting and infrastructure all shape how families experience our country and the economy. This Bill moves us in the right direction.”
“That includes our schools. North County Dublin is seeing significant population growth, particularly among young families. That growth must be matched with timely delivery of school places in modern, warm buildings and appropriate supports. The increase in special needs assistants announced in budget 2026 is very welcome but families also need certainty that overall school capacity will keep pace with demand. That is what allows communities to put down roots with confidence. We are also seeing very substantial investments at a national level in public transport, water infrastructure and strengthening our electricity grid. These are necessary investments, particularly if we are to support housing delivery and economic growth, but we must also ensure that this investment translates into real outcomes on the ground.”
“While we have seen an increase in investments in childcare and more families benefiting from supports, availability remains a real issue on the ground. In Fingal, the shortage of childcare places, in particular community childcare places, is raised with me time and again. Parents want to work more hours or return to the workforce but they simply cannot do this because there are not enough places available. If we are serious about making work pay, particularly for families, this issue has to be addressed because without accessible childcare, financial supports alone are not enough. That is why areas experiencing rapid population growth, for example, north County Dublin, must be prioritised for additional childcare provision. Alongside this, we must continue to invest in the fundamentals that allow communities to grow.”
“It is about whether taking on extra hours or returning to work actually pays and whether the balance between wages, taxation, childcare costs and commuting costs works in their favour. That is particularly true in fast-growing commuter areas like Fingal. In towns such as Skerries, Balbriggan, Lusk and Rush, people are working hard, often commuting long distances, raising families and contributing to their communities, yet many still feel under financial pressure. When we talk about workforce participation, we must look at the practical realities that many families face. Across the country, many people, in particular parents of young children, are working part time, not by choice but because it is the only viable option available to them. That is where childcare becomes central.”
“This Bill represents progress in a number of important areas. It reflects an effort to respond to the pressures on working people through a number of targeted tax measures, including an increase in the USC threshold; the extension of supports, such as rent tax credits and mortgage interest relief, alongside continued investment in our infrastructure and public services; measures backing innovation, research and quality jobs; regenerating towns and city centres; and measures to intensify the supply of housing. No more is that evident than in my area of Fingal where we see housing developments in every town. It is also clear, however, that pressures remain very real for many families because for many working people, the question is not whether measures are introduced, but whether they make a meaningful difference for families.”
“However, it is important that we are careful and evidence-based in how we interpret those figures. We do not know why they did not proceed. It may be that they miscarried, travelled, exceeded gestational limits or experienced other barriers accessing care, and we know that those in coercive relationships and in the postcode lottery that our healthcare system is have unequal access to healthcare. That is why this issue warrants examination by the health committee and further examination by this House.”
“First, this is fundamentally about women's healthcare. We know there are women in Ireland who are still being forced to travel abroad for care in cases involving fatal foetal abnormalities because clinicians cannot provide certainty within the narrow legal definitions contained in the 2018 Act. As a mum to two daughters, I do not believe that compassionate care should stop at the airport gate. Second, the O'Shea report concluded that aspects of the law were not operating as intended and were causing real distress to women and clinicians. Third, the O'Shea report questioned whether the mandatory three-day waiting period was evidence based and recommended that it be optional. Figures have been cited here today regarding women who did not proceed with a second appointment.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. This is an issue that evokes deeply held and personal views across Irish society and it is important that we approach it with sensitivity, compassion and respect for differing opinions. There will be strongly held views expressed in this debate, and I respect that. However, I believe as legislators that we have a responsibility to carefully consider the evidence presented in the comprehensive and evidence-based O'Shea report, the improvements made since the report, and the lived experiences of women, families and clinicians. While aspects of this Bill may require amendment and careful scrutiny, I believe that the essence of what it seeks to address deserves debate and consideration by this House and the health committee. I say that for the following three reasons.”
“Fingal is one of the fastest growing areas in the country but transport needs to keep pace with housing delivery. We need buses that connect the new developments in sprawling towns like Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk to the town centre and, crucially, also to our rail links. Rush and Lusk train station is actually in the middle of nowhere and is surrounded by fields. The car park is at capacity. When I brought this up with the NTA I was told all the focus is on the eastern rail corridor, but the reality is there is no bus to connect people to the train station. We need to have local public transport that moves people around our towns and villages and connects them with the rail infrastructure.”
“I very much welcome Swim Ireland's report. The Minister of State will have seen from it that waiting lists in Fingal are at 100%. The nearest pool to Balbriggan is in Swords. Balbriggan is the youngest large town in the country. We need access to a swimming pool for Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Lusk and the surrounding villages of Naul and Garristown. The demand is there and we have the population. Fingal County Council has put an awful lot of work into the planning. I urge the Minister of State to look favourably on any application from Fingal County Council. It is an essential necessity for the area, which is rapidly growing. We are building houses in Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Lusk and the villages. We need access to appropriate sporting facilities.”
“North County Dublin is one of the youngest and fastest growing areas in the country yet access to public swimming pools is extremely limited, particularly in north Fingal. Waiting lists for the limited swimming pools that are available are at 100%. Fingal County Council is planning to develop a swimming pool in Balbriggan. Will the Minister of State update us on whether any money will be made available from central government to fund that swimming pool?”
“In terms of looking at people and children at risk of poverty, for a mother who is availing of maternity leave at €299 or of the 16 weeks' unpaid leave, and a dad who is also taking parent's leave at a rate of €299, the two combined payments are exceptionally low in terms of actually being able to avail of this leave. It means the people in lower socio-economic positions are simply not able to avail of this leave because of the rates of pay. I appreciate pay-related rates being looked at, but at the same time it is people at the bottom who are really going to be most affected because they simply cannot afford to take the leave. We need to look at that and how we can support everyone at all socio-economic levels.”