James Geoghegan
Dublin Bay South · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I say, in a non-partisan way, that it would be helpful if other political parties carried out an exercise similar to the one we are carrying out and if they presented different papers.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate such a significant issue. It is helpful that this debate is being framed from a line Department perspective in that it has begun by looking at the fiscal implications of a united Ireland. It would be helpful if we also had a debate on the implications for education and health of a united Ireland.”
“Obviously, none of that will be sufficient unless we can demonstrate to every community in Northern Ireland that the country will be an inclusive place, but we in Ireland have shown just how inclusive we can be. I am 41 years old.”
“With the passage of time, however, any fair and impartial observer would recognise that institutional benefit of ensuring that Ireland and the United Kingdom had a joint role in the affairs of Northern Ireland proved to be instrumental in all the subsequent peace agreements we ultimately arrived at.”
“However, nobody can underestimate the challenges the State faces in persuading a population that is very sceptical that we would we welcome them to this country and that we could provide a state that would function.”
“He highlighted the euro, which is important. If we think back to the Scottish referendum, one of the biggest reasons it failed was because the Scottish people were not certain whether they were going to have the British pound or the euro.”
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Every one of 352 lines we hold for James Geoghegan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 8.
“One of the commitments in the programme for Government is to make the criminal justice system more victim-centred. Yesterday, I met Sharon Lynn, the sister of Martin Lynn, who died following a one-punch attack in 2023. The senseless death of her brother Martin and her interaction as a victim in the court process during the trial of Martin's assailant is a story that Sharon has had to tell on countless occasions, and I witnessed that anguish in my office yesterday. She stood on a platform with the Minister for justice and he indicated that he would meet her. I ask that that meeting take place. As someone who did not practise in criminal law but practised at the civil end of crime, I definitely think we can do better for victims. What steps is the Government taking to make the criminal justice system more victim-centred?”
“Perhaps the most important finding was that clinicians told the review that their training enables them, as it would in every clinical care setting, to identify uncertainty or coercion and to advise additional time where the clinician deems it appropriate to do so. They noted that they would continue to that even in the absence of a State-imposed three-day rule, which is a blunt instrument and is against best practice, including WHO best practice. In simple terms, we should trust our doctors and we should trust women. It is for those reasons that I will be voting in favour of removing the three-day wait and in favour of this Bill advancing to Committee Stage to enable an up-to-date examination of the impact of the rule three years on from the O'Shea report.”
“It was unequivocal in its finding that there is no clinical basis for a mandatory three-day wait. The report went on to identify as an unforeseen practical consequence of the three-day rule that women are timing out of care, particularly when scans, referrals, weekends or bank holidays intervene. The report, which is now three years out of date, cites how many women already face delays before presenting, whether due to miscalculating gestational age, work and family pressures, financial constraints, language and cultural barriers or domestic abuse. The mandatory wait compounds those delays and can push women over the 12-week limit.”
“I come to this debate as someone who voted to repeal the eighth amendment and is respectful of the freedom of conscience vote for Members of the parties of government but also with a clear sense of our obligations as legislators in a representative democracy. Section 7 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the Act this Private Members' Bill proposes to amend, statutorily required a full review of its operation three years after its commencement date of 1 January 2019. That review was commissioned by the then Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly. It was initiated at the end of 2021 and carried out by Ms Marie O'Shea BL. Drawing on extensive evidence, including 58 service user interviews, 43 provider interviews, 188 GP survey responses and 6,976 public submissions, the report was published in April 2023.”
“As the International Protection Act comes into being very shortly, can the Taoiseach say that there will no longer be tents in public parks anywhere in this city in which international protection applicants will be sleeping? Operationally, we can make changes to prevent that happening. Even at the smaller numbers that we had in the past, this is not sustainable. Nor is it fair on the international protection applicants or the communities in which these tents are being put up.”
“No international protection applicant should be sleeping in a tent in a public park in any part of this country. Yet, in my constituency, in Herbert Park, it is a regular occurrence of late that international protection applicants are sleeping in tents in a park beside a playground that people frequent with their families and children. From the questioning I have done in the public accounts committee, we know the average duration of stay of an international protection applicant in a tent is less than two days. We are paying €1 million for an NGO to refer international protection applicants in a tent to an accommodation service.”
“They are appraising it as it is introduced. Having retrained many of the teachers who have voluntarily signed up for some of the pilot projects, they are assessing the learning in the classroom. Ireland has, perhaps, the opportunity to learn from the mistakes being made in some countries when they introduce AI into education. I urgently ask that the critical skills observatory be established and that we ensure we have the jobs for the future.”
“I am sure I am no different from any other TD in this room in the sense that when I talk to teachers and students, I note they are saying the same thing. Teachers just want some level of direction in terms of how the children use AI. The children want direction on how they can use AI in a way that effectively does not stupefy them and does not reduce their capacity and learning skills in education. Many countries are already moving at pace in this area. One of the countries I visited with the Chair of the AI committee, Deputy Malcolm Byrne, was Estonia, a country well known for its digitalised society. At secondary level, it is already sandboxing education to some extent. It is introducing AI into the classroom but monitoring and assessing it at a very high level. Academic institutions are supporting its introduction into the classroom.”
“The Minister will be familiar with the interim report the AI committee published in December. One of the key recommendations was the establishment of a critical skills observatory. I was delighted to see that recommendation form part of the national AI strategy published by the Taoiseach. I am aware that the Minister is working on this observatory and that it is soon to be completed, based on replies to parliamentary questions I saw. We need to set up the critical skills observatory as soon as possible. It is important – maybe this is already happening – to have a good degree of collaboration between the Minister’s Department and the Department of education, given that the Minister for education, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, has established an AI task force. This is really responding to the needs of the moment.”
“For a lot of young people out there, one of their biggest fears is that their jobs will effectively be taken away and they will not have jobs. These are graduates who have done all of the right things, worked hard and their parents have saved to support them through college. They want to see them getting good jobs and staying and working here. They are really fearful that the introduction and pace of AI will not be good for them. The only way to respond is to ensure that we have the right skill set and that our third level institutions, our further and higher education institutions and the State are walking, as much as they can, in lockstep with the changes that are taking place in the private sector and the changes that are being adapted in the public sector when it comes to AI.”
“I thank the Minister for giving us the opportunity to talk about such an important area of our society and economy. The area I am particularly focused on as Leas-Chathaoirleach of the AI Oireachtas committee is the impact of AI, the disruption and making sure that Ireland is ready and prepared. We need to make sure that the students of the future are adapting and developing the necessary skills they will need for the jobs of the future. An IMF report released on Monday or yesterday indicated that up to 40% of current jobs in Ireland would be impacted by AI in one way or another. That potentially underestimates the impact of AI in Ireland but what is really being highlighted there is the strong services element of our economy and the impact that AI can have on that.”
“We have to keep extending it in order to meet the demand and make provision in respect of the population growth that is taking place. I hope the Minister of State would support me in the Department in supporting the NTA and the TII as they progress their way through the project. I certainly look forward to working with all local TDs and councillors to get this project over the line.”
“I have tried to take the initiative, deliver leaflets, inform people about what is going on, knock on doors and encourage people to come along to public meetings in order to hear their views. There is no question that when you put yourself out there like that as a politician, particularly as a Government TD, people will ask why the Luas is not there already. They can see the apartments under construction. What I am focused on as a new TD in this Dáil is progress and getting this project over the line. We know that if you start to deliver a pipeline of projects for light rail, there is no end to what you can do. We have the capital available to continue to invest in public transport. We have not extended the Luas since the cross-city project in 2017.”
“The Minister of State would be familiar with what happens when one holds public meetings. I did one a number of years ago on BusConnects where there was huge anguish and real fury about the proposed route through Terenure. There were hundreds of people at the door. What I was trying to do there was ensure that we got people to engage with the process. Unfortunately, that particular bus corridor is currently the subject of a judicial review in the High Court. We need to learn from this. The way to deal with public transport projects is not to march everyone up a hill and then try to go with the least offensive option at the very end. We need to work with communities right from the beginning. That is what I have tried to do with this Luas to Poolbeg project.”
“Full or packed buses are another problem we have faced with the introduction of high-frequency bus routes. Lots of people want to use them but there is not enough space. That is where Luas and extending light rail comes in. It is blindingly obvious. Many more people can be transported on a Luas, particularly from this area, than on a high-frequency bus route. I should say that it is intended to have a high-frequency bus route to serve the area as well. What I hope is that there will no let up in the context of the progression of this light rail project. I hosted a public meeting not so long ago to engage with the community on where this project is at and where it is going, and to listen to people. I was genuinely overwhelmed, both by the attendance at the meeting and the level of interest among people in the issue.”
“However, in areas where high-frequency bus routes exist, they are hugely popular and successful. The only frustration people have is when buses do not show up. In other words, when there are ghost buses. That is a big issue with certain bus routes. I have had it in my constituency. In some areas, it is caused by the private operator, Go-Ahead, and, in other cases, it is Dublin Bus that operates the services. When we deliver more high-frequency bus routes, we have to ensure that they are exactly what it says on the tin, namely high-frequency routes, because that is what increases use of public transport. If people know they have to be in college at a certain hour, the bus must pass their door at a particular time. If they know they have to be at work at a certain hour, the bus must arrive to get them there.”
“I have engaged with the Minister of State and the Minister on this issue. A new demand survey was taken out, which proved that, with the development of the Glass Bottle site and other adjacent development in the area, there is absolutely a need for an extension to Poolbeg. We were informed as recently as a few weeks ago that the project has moved from phase 1 to phase 2 and that it is hoped that a statutory public consultation relating to the project will begin in 2027. That is a tangible example of how we are making progress in public transport, and in a different form of public transport. It is fair to say that where we have seen major investment in the past five years is in the area of high-frequency bus routes. I heard many Deputies speak about the challenges they have had in the engagement relating to BusConnects corridors.”
“That was almost a year ago, and I am delighted to say that there has been a lot of progress on and support for the project thanks to the work of the Minister for Transport, the two Ministers of State in the Department, the NTA and the TII. When I raised it earlier with the Taoiseach, he acknowledged the importance of the project proceeding for the enormous village that is being built on the Glass Bottle site in Poolbeg. More than 10,000 people are due to live there and, potentially, an additional 10,000 people will work there. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, when a study was done in 2016 about that project, the demand was not sufficient, but that all changed. Since I was elected as a TD, I have used every vehicle available to me to advocate for the project. I have met the NTA and TII.”
“I welcome this Bill. It underpins the investment the Government is making in public transport. There is a false narrative which seeks to divide urban and rural Ireland and which states that this Government is all about roads and that the previous Government was all about public transport. That is absolute rubbish. There is investment in MetroLink, which will be a critical project. Deputy McAuliffe mentioned the extension of the Luas to Finglas, which former Fine Gael Deputy Noel Roc, advocated for even as a councillor. It will be transformative for Dublin. In addition to the other Luas extensions that are proposed, I want to advocate for a Luas extension to Poolbeg. The Minister of State will recall that I raised this as a Topical issue. He was here when I raised it.”
“That is two for Poolbeg because I will also raise the extension of the Luas to Poolbeg. I can tell Deputy Hayes that I have had engagement with the NTA and the project is progressing at pace. Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, hopes to go to public consultation early in the new year. I re-emphasise the need for that project. It is not a very large project - a couple of kilometres - but it would make a difference to an area where there will be 10,000 people living and potentially an additional 10,000 people working. TII has confirmed that there is a demand for the extension.”
“No other global power, including China and the United States, is trying to regulate the introduction of AI to the same extent that Europe is to protect people against the risks that AI poses but also to ensure we get the benefits of the innovation that AI can bring. I am very heartened to hear the priorities.”
“It is good that the Government has set values as a key priority in this Presidency because we often take our membership in the European Union for granted. To some extent, we actually might take for granted the population’s support of our membership of the European Union. In countries where governments withdraw their support for the EU, we see the relief that is felt from the population when another government comes in that is closer to the EU. We saw this most recently in Hungary with people waving European flags on the streets. We need to remind people that European values are our values. A rules-based environment is better for all of us, particularly in the world we currently live in. The AI Act is a very good reflection of that.”
“For example, the AI summit will take place in November which I am particularly interested in, as the vice chair of the AI committee. In the preparations for the EU Presidency, has there been engagement with Dublin City Council, business representative groups and other stakeholders on the logistical challenges and the opportunity that hosting the Presidency brings to Dublin? It would be remiss of me not to mention the Silk Road Café, which is facing potential closure as a result of the Presidency. I know that is not a message that we would like to send out from the Presidency.”
“Working towards the ratification of trade deals will also be an important element of the Minister’s work during the Presidency. Everyone in Ireland, a small open economy that has been transformed by foreign direct investment, FDI, knows that these trade deals provide tangible benefits, more employment, more tax revenue to fund public services and a more diverse country. Making this work relevant to people's daily lives is difficult but worthwhile. People need to know why the European project is so important to them and to Ireland. The EU Presidency presents an opportunity for renewal in our EU membership. To maintain the practical impact of the Presidency, I would like to ask the Minister about her engagements with stakeholders in Dublin city. As we know, 30,000 delegates are expected to travel to Ireland over a six-month period.”
“Many of our priorities are worthy in themselves but can seem distant to many people on the ground. It is important to highlight the practical benefits of what Ireland can do during the Presidency. For example, the digital omnibus package is due to be finalised during our EU Presidency. This simplification agenda will be felt by employers and employees across the country. It should have knock-on economic effects that will ultimately see more and better jobs created in this country. Initiatives like the savings and investments union will have similarly practical benefits. Businesses will have more capital available and over time as a result, we will see more companies scale up and stay in Ireland with more jobs created here.”
“This week we remember Garret FitzGerald, 15 years on from his death, and 2026 marks 100 years since his birth. I think we can all agree that the leadership he showed has shaped our national identity. We are a more tolerant, inclusive and open society because of him. We are also a country that embraces our European identity because of him. He was central to our own European integration story, which laid the foundations for our success. I am glad that the ambition Garret had for this country in Europe is still evident in our approach today. An Irish Times headline following Ireland's previous EU Presidency under Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that the EU Presidency displayed the best of what Ireland can offer. This time we have been tasked with advancing a transformative EU agenda and we can again display the best we have to offer.”
“I ask the Minister of State to look into improving the interoperability of cameras that are already in place so they can detect other road offences.”
“In 2015 there was a pilot at the Luas crossing in the city centre and that reduced red-light breaches by half during a six-month trial. I also want to emphasise the necessity for interoperability. Irish Rail is trying to protect against cars going through the rail crossings but where the Merrion Gates cameras are currently placed means they are perfectly primed to also prevent heavy goods vehicles using the Strand Road when they are not supposed to. It is illegal for heavy goods vehicles to use the Strand Road yet a report from the council in 2021 found that 130 heavy goods vehicles daily were travelling northbound on the Strand Road. It would not take much for those cameras to also be used to detect and criminalise that offence.”
“These cameras ensure that motorists who breach traffic signals face meaningful penalties, including fines and penalty points. I have no difficulty with a motorist who seeks to fast track across the crossings facing a penalty for this. I find it very strange that any parliamentarian would seek to defend, like the previous speaker did, a motorist who drove at over 100 km/h and is facing penalty points because they did not see the sign, even if they are their constituents. In any event, this scheme is also being rolled out on Serpentine Road and Sandymount Avenue and on the other side of the River Liffey Irish Rail is also doing it in Sutton and Coolmine. I hope these cameras are installed as a matter of urgency because the evidence shows these measures work.”
“I have to say I found the previous speaker's contribution strange, to put it mildly. For the Sinn Féin speaker to be trying to circumvent speeding on our roads when we see the dangers that are on our roads is incredibly bizarre, to put it mildly. In any event, I welcome the publication of the National Safety Camera Strategy and congratulate the Minister of State on his continued efforts to use modern technology to address what is a major issue in Ireland today. In my constituency Irish Rail has already commenced a strategy at the Merrion Gates DART crossing for camera-based enforcement for road traffic offences, specifically, red-light offences for crossing that rail crossing. This was launched in January of this year and it marks the first time in over a decade that automatic cameras have been deployed to detect red-light violations.”
“We are doing a lot in these Houses and in Europe to protect children. What can we do to protect people like Suad Mooge and some of our incredible sporting heroes who faced the same level of racism in that online sphere?”
“Will the Taoiseach join me in condemning the racist abuse that Suad Mooge, the recently selected Dublin Rose, received simply by virtue of winning the competition? She was subjected to racist abuse because of the colour of her skin. I understand that she grew up in Sligo and then went to school in Terenure, which is in my constituency. I happened to listen back to her on "Liveline" yesterday and it was a personality explosion listening to her. I listened to the resilience that she has to display on a day-to-day basis through her whole life. We would not tolerate the level of racist abuse that she faced if it was happening on the streets daily. She faced this volume of racism because it was on online platforms. Let us blunt be about this - those online platforms are monetising the hate and racism.”
“The message from An Garda Síochána is clear - it wants to be out policing communities and not tied up in unnecessary administrative processes. The message from the public is just as clear - they want Garda resources deployed effectively and stronger tools to tackle crime where it occurs most. A poll by opened by Journal.ie yesterday in respect of our legislation has seen almost 8,000 people respond so far demonstrating that approximately 80% of people who participated in the poll support this legislation and increased Garda-operated CCTV in areas where it is needed most. That reflects what all of us are hearing in our constituencies and communities. People want safer streets, visible policing and gardaí equipped to do their jobs.”
“Key elements of the 2023 Act remain uncommenced, most notably the code of practice governing the use of CCTV by An Garda Síochána which has yet to be published by the Minister. I welcome confirmation by the Minister for justice that public consultation on this code by An Garda Síochána concluded in February of this year and that it is now finalising a draft code for approval by the Minister. I look forward to working constructively with the Minister to advance that code, the investment in CCTV and the additional measures proposed in this legislation. This legislation has been informed directly by engagement with gardaí on the ground as well as by examining best practice across other European jurisdictions.”
“In such locations, there will be explicit obligations to minimise recording, limit operating hours and ensure that the privacy of young people is fully respected. This will have significant importance in areas near playground for example. Recently in Dublin there has been a spate of vandalism. Some playgrounds have been set on fire, including one in my constituency in Seán Moore Park, which has been set on fire six times in the past three years. It also explicitly prohibits the use of biometric analysis within crime prevention zones, a safeguard that is not currently provided for. This Bill builds on the existing legislative framework but also highlights an important gap.”
“This Bill replaces that with approved data-sharing arrangements, allowing gardaí to access live or recorded footage for legitimate policing purposes in a far more efficient manner. Second, the Bill introduces the concept of crime prevention zones. These are targeted, time-limited areas designated where there is a clear and evidenced pattern of repeat criminal activity. Importantly, these zones are not open-ended. They will be subject to strict proportionality tests, public notification requirements and regular review. They will automatically lapse after a defined period unless there is clear justification for renewal. Crucially, this Bill also strengthens safeguards. It introduces a robust code of practice, including enhanced protections for areas primarily used by children.”
“At its core, the Bill has two clear objectives: to reduce the administrative burden faced by gardaí, and to better deter criminal activity in areas experiencing persistent crime, antisocial behaviour and vandalism. There is no village, town or city in Ireland that is untouched by crime. Every community has a fundamental right not only to be safe but to feel safe. This Bill delivers on that in two important ways. First, it establishes a new, streamlined data-sharing framework between An Garda Síochána and public bodies in relation to CCTV footage. Under the current system, gardaí must seek authorisation on a case-by-case basis, often involving lengthy and cumbersome court processes.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 to require that public bodies provide members of Garda personnel access to publicly operated CCTV systems, without a full new authorisation being required, for the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences; to allow members of Garda personnel to install and operate CCTV in designated high-crime areas; to provide for the preparation of draft codes of practice in relation to Garda access to publicly operated CCTV systems, and for the Minister to declare them by order to be codes of practice. I welcome the opportunity to speak on our Fine Gael Private Members' Bill, which seeks to amend the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023.”
“I will highlight, as the OPW has done, a ready-made existing policy, not something to be feared by the State, that has proven successful, viable and that it has the experience to deal with the maintenance of such an important building.”
“This is clearly an area in which the State has comfort. What everybody wants to see is a community dividend from this unique opportunity. I would be concerned that the relevant stakeholders on the State side will not grasp the nettle. This is a live sale process. Theoretically, the tower could be acquired by any person who wishes to acquire it right now. It is for sale on the open market. I will certainly be engaging with Dublin City Council on foot of the reply that has been given. Equally, I will engage with the Ministers responsible in the Department of heritage, particularly as this Martello tower is registered as a national monument.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I am very encouraged by the reply. I may be too much of an optimist. However, to be fair to the OPW, particularly in the context of the reply the Minister of State read out its behalf, it has highlighted a very successful model that has worked when working with a local authority in the preservation of Martello tower in Dún Laoghaire, which is not very far away from the Martello tower in Sandymount, and how it successfully operates as a museum. It is my understanding, as already stated, that there has been some engagement on the part of the local authority regarding the sales process. I acknowledge that it identifies the parent Department as being the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which might have a role in directing the OPW in this matter.”
“The cultural, historic and social dividend for everyone visiting the area would be ginormous. I have raised this matter in order to encourage the relevant agencies of the State to engage with the sales process and investigate and determine whether it is plausible that the State could acquire this Martello tower.”
“It is not just on behalf of the community that I am making this representation. Sandymount Strand is visited by hundreds of people on a daily basis. It is an oasis on Dublin Bay and a UNESCO biosphere. It is something that the whole of Dublin is proud of, enjoys and frequents. There would be an enormous opportunity to create a history tour linking all of the Martello towers. It could become an iconic destination. In terms of value for the State, the Government could work with the local authority and Dublin City Council. To be fair to the council, there has already been some preliminary engagement with the seller. The State and the local authority could work together to provide a café on site that would build up revenue. Whatever the capital cost might be right now, it would wash its face within a short period.”
“The tower is recognised and registered as a national monument on the national monument registry. There is precedent for the State acquiring buildings that are recognised as national monuments. One of the challenges if the monument goes into private hands is its ability to serve the community and serve its intended purpose. To be fair to the current owner, perhaps 25 years ago or so, a planning application was submitted to put in place a café at the site. For whatever reason, that did not work out. We should be able to do so much more to recognise and preserve our history. This is a unique opportunity. A tower was constructed over 200 years ago by our then colonial overlords to prevent or at least defend against the perceived risk of a French invasion. We now have an opportunity to preserve and highlight that history.”
“I could not tell the Minister of State the number of occasions on which I, as a councillor, was contacted by people asking whether anything could be done with the Martello tower. I do not know how often Dublin City Council wrote to the owner to see whether a collaborative approach could be taken to open the tower. We talk about dereliction and vacancy generally across the city. This is a landmark building. The owner is the only person who has access, which he is perfectly entitled to have. The first time anyone has had a glimpse of the inside of the building is right now because it has been put up for sale. Photographs have been published in order that people can see what the tower looks like inside. It has been decades since anyone has peered into the building.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter, which relates to the Martello tower in Sandymount. The Minister of State will be familiar with Martello towers located across Dublin Bay. I understand that 28 were originally built. Every few of them are in as good nick as the one on Sandymount Strand. As a local Deputy and a former councillor, I am aware that people have been raising this issue on a continuing basis. They would walk along the promenade past the Martello tower, which is such an iconic building. People have not had access to the inside for decades. Those who have lived in the community long enough remember a time when there was a café in the tower. In other parts of the city, such as Dún Laoghaire, there is a James Joyce museum in a Martello tower.”
“As we look and review the situations that took place over the past week, can the Taoiseach agree that there will be a zero-tolerance approach and when it comes to blockading and the prevention of public transport such as the Luas and buses, this simply cannot be tolerated in a democracy?”
“Over the past week, there has understandably been a lot of focus on the blockades of the refinery in the Taoiseach's own county, the blockades of the port and the blockade of O'Connell Street that lasted for days. Does the Taoiseach agree with me that when it comes to the policing of blockades, there must now be a zero-tolerance approach. It cannot be the case that O'Connell Street, the main thoroughfare of our city centre, could be blocked off. People were refused access to the Rotunda Hospital. I received phone calls in my office from people who had missed exams. The level of disruption that was caused cannot be tolerated. What we saw from the Garda when it carried out its enforcement actions in all of the places I have just mentioned was very limited conflict and a very positive outcome.”
“From responses to parliamentary questions, I know the overall figures are relatively small. However, we want to get them back into the system. We do not want people exiting core funding because we cannot control the fees if they do so. Some of this is bureaucracy and the various funding schemes that they have to operate under. Could we be doing more for providers that exit core funding so that we can keep the costs down for parents and support providers at the same time?”
“On Friday, I met Denise from Tiernans Nursery in Rathmines. She has been operating it for over 35 years. Unfortunately, she has had to take the decision to exit core funding to make ends meet. She has had to notify parents of that. This is not a person who is looking to make loads of money; she is just trying to continue to provide the service she was already providing. Since I was elected as a TD, I have met lots of childcare providers in my constituency who have had to make this difficult decision to exit core funding. They do not want to tell parents that they are going to have to increase their fees, and obviously the Government is trying to reduce the cost of childcare for parents. My question is on the level of engagement the Department can have with providers that do exit.”