Joanna Byrne
Louth · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Irish artists and writers have given their labour, blood, sweat, tears and dreams to creating something uniquely human - songs, stories, music and paintings that mean so much to many - only to see their labour being fed to AI systems without their consent and without being financially compensated for their loss.”
“A couple of days before my tenth birthday, I came home from school to once again find my mother beaten to a pulp and our home smashed to pieces. The bravery of my mother that day changed the course of our lives forever.”
“The basic income for artists scheme was only made permanent after it proved it could boost the economy. Many of our beloved cultural events are based on Irish artists having the backing to be able to hone their craft and share their art.”
“As a nine-, eight-, seven-, six- and five-year-old girl, I used to sit at the top of the stairs and pray to hear my mam scream or cry because it was the only way I knew she was surviving another beating.”
“We have the Presidency at the Council of the EU for the next six months and this is the opportune time to act. Whether by accident or design, putting protections in place has been non-existent or has been moving at a snail's pace.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion on protecting the copyright of Irish artists in the era of artificial intelligence. It is important to note this is a nuanced and targeted motion to protect Irish artists across the entire spectrum of the arts.”
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“If passed, this Bill would place an onus on national broadcasters to make every reasonable effort to end this exclusion. It would also require Coimisiún na Meán and the Minister for communications to identify and work to overcome licensing barriers to all-Ireland service in broadcast media. This is not just an issue of concern for this House, but also an issue of concern for Stormont. The economy Minister, Dr. Caoimhe Archibald, confirmed in recent days that she has engaged with both the Irish and British Governments to help to bring an end to the unacceptable practice of geoblocking. This issue is not going away. When I presented the committee's report to the House this day last week, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, was not present then either. I raised this concern in my opening speech with the Minister of State, Deputy Frankie Feighan.”
“The Irish Government has the ability and responsibility to address this issue, and it should be engaging further with the British Government, regulators, broadcasters and Internet service providers. Refusing to accept and implement this recommendation is a true reflection of intent when it comes to this Government's consideration of our fellow countrymen and women up North. I would encourage the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, to heed the call by his Government colleagues to implement the Sinn Féin proposal to end geoblocking and include audiences across the island. If he does not, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh and I will pursue our Broadcasting (All-Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill 2025 to ensure equal access to service across the whole island of Ireland. We have already introduced that Bill.”
“It is equally unfair to block them from watching Irish athletes in the North competing for team Ireland in the Olympics, or Armagh potentially winning an all-Ireland final. The committee agreed the cross-party recommendation to recognise all users in the North of Ireland as underserved audiences, and endorsed the incorporation of provisions. It cannot be understated that colleagues from across the Government and the Opposition have come together to recognise that the geoblocking of audiences, exclusion from competitions and erasure from maps of the Six Counties by RTÉ need to be addressed. This recommendation to end geoblocking demonstrates a unity of purpose among TDs and Senators to ensure that national broadcasters serve the whole of our nation.”
“I take particular issue with the Minister for choosing not to action recommendation 13, which seeks to end geoblocking on the island of Ireland. We in Sinn Féin have long called on the Irish Government to end the geoblocking of RTÉ content from its viewers in the North. The Minister's conscious decision not to accept this recommendation goes to the heart of the southern establishment’s disregard for and perception of Irish citizens in the North. As Ireland came to a standstill to cheer on the boys in green only weeks ago, it was wrong that so many people in the North were unable to watch our national football team play their World Cup qualifier free-to-air on RTÉ because it is geoblocked. This was Ireland's biggest international soccer match in decades.”
“He says there are seven more that are appropriate to legislation that has horizontal effect across many sectors, such as employment, tax, social insurance and copyright law, which I completely understand. In that regard, he says he has brought the recommendations relating to copyright legislation and policy to the attention of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, who I hope has a plan of action for them. We do not want these recommendations to fall between two stools or to be sent back and forwards. It is something that I and, I am sure, many other members of the media committee will be watching closely because there was genuine intent and diligence offered in the drafting of these recommendations across the board.”
“It is important to note the committee report on this Bill made 85 recommendations, thereby highlighting the Government's laissez-faire attitude to bringing forward such important legislation. There are recommendations in the Bill that were previously included in the Future of Media Commission that have still not been progressed. The Government has dragged its feet in this regard, and by the look of this, it will continue to drag its feet as the Minister has refused to follow the recommendation to set targeted timelines for its implementation. Of the 85 recommendations carefully considered and agreed by members of both the Opposition and the Government at committee, the Minister says that 68 can be or already have been implemented.”
“After last week's media committee performance and revelations from RTÉ I especially welcome the Bill will assign the Comptroller and Auditor General as auditor of RTÉ. The top ten earners' list we were presented with for the last eight years is wrong and 13 people at RTÉ are earning more than the €250,000 salary cap when entitlements such as pension contributions and allowances are taken into account. There is nothing like an RTÉ scandal to keep the focus off the Government's mismanagement of this State - Lord knows we have had enough of them by now - but I look forward to reading the Comptroller and Auditor General's report into RTÉ's accounts now he will finally have the power.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being with us and for her presentation. I welcome the progression of the Bill, though many of the items in it could and should have been implemented a long time ago, had Government not voted down many of the same proposals when they were made by Sinn Féin. This includes bringing RTÉ under the aegis of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Sinn Féin also proposed a significant number of amendments through the media committee, many of which were passed and are included in this Bill. We accept that on balance this is a positive Bill that makes long-overdue changes we have been advocating for years. Many of the items in this were necessitated by the multiple scandals in RTÉ and long-term mismanagement of public funding.”
“I understand they are not coming directly from the Minister of State himself but I sincerely hope that is not a reflection of the Government's intent with regard to this Bill. If it is, Deputy Ó Snodaigh and I have introduced the Broadcasting (All Ireland Service) (Amendment) Bill at First Stage and will have to pursue that if this is not included in the Bill next week. I put that on the record. I thank the Minister of State for his time. I know it is a busy week and there are other things going on. I appreciate his contribution.”
“However, it should be noted that the Minister has acted on only 68 of the 85 recommendations of the committee. That leaves 20% of them not included in the Bill, which I believe we will debate on Second Stage next Thursday. Some of them are relevant to different sectors, including employment, tax, social insurance and copyright law, as outlined by the Minister of State. I understand that, but my understanding is that it has been decided not to accept ten of the recommendations. I am sure committee members will want to make their own contributions on this on Second Stage. I will not hold everybody up too late. Suffice it to say it is disappointing that geo-blocking was not mentioned in either the opening contribution or closing comments of the Minister of State.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for being here this evening, for his contribution and for his acknowledgement of the work of the committee over an extensive period in recent months. I also thank the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, for acknowledging that work. Given the controversies around RTÉ and the fact that it is back in the headlines this week, I very much welcome the decision that it will finally come under the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General. It is just a shame that the Government voted down Sinn Féin's Broadcasting (Oversight of RTÉ Accounts) (Amendment) Bill only last year. We could have moved on this prior to this latest controversy in the headlines. Regarding the response to the committee's report, given that the committee members are not here this afternoon, I am not going to speak for them.”
“The committee also agreed with a Sinn Féin proposal that regional public meetings be held across Ireland, including in the Six Counties, as part of nationwide consultations by the audience councils of RTÉ and TG4 to ensure the input of audiences when providing feedback. I encourage the Minister to heed the call from Government colleagues to implement these proposals to end geoblocking and include audiences from across the island when he drafts the final Bill.”
“We present these recommendations in the hope that our report will be a constructive contribution to the drafting of the Bill and the reform of public service media in Ireland. I welcome that colleagues across government and opposition have come together to recognise that the geoblocking of audiences, exclusion from competitions and erasure from maps of the Six Counties by RTÉ needs to be addressed. This recommendation was one of a number of Sinn Féin proposals accepted on a cross-party basis at committee and demonstrates a unity of purpose among Deputies and Senators to make sure national broadcasters serves the whole of the nation.”
“The committee recommended that the protection and promotion of sustainable employment and the principle of equal pay for equal work should be included as a duty with the boards RTÉ and TG4. The committee also recommended that the Bill require RTÉ and TG4 to publish the objective criteria it uses to determine employment status and for using contracts of service and to ensure these criteria abide by the Karshan decision of the Supreme Court and the code of practice. The committee requested that the Minister, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, considers the content of the report before the Bill commences the formal legislative process. The committee can speak with one voice in welcoming many of the broad principles of the Bill and share the commitment of the Minister to enhancing trust and support of our public service media.”
“Stakeholders expressed much concern and, indeed, confusion regarding the interpretation and implication of additionality rules. The committee believes ways must be examined to support public interest current affairs content that may be at risk. Furthermore, our report calls for the introduction of a content levy in line with the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022, which will be used to assist in the funding of the production of Irish content. This issue deserves serious consideration. It builds on a recommendation made by our predecessor committee, which also called for the expedition of such a levy being introduced. It was a common call from the wide-ranging stakeholders with whom we engaged.”
“This recommendation is born out of community engagement with CRAOL and CTA, which highlighted concerns to the committee regarding the lack of specific recognition afforded to the community media sector and stated references to local and regional media in the Bill will be understood in a way that excludes community media from supports. We agree that this needs to be addressed in recognition of the immense service community media provides in our communities throughout the State. The committee recommends that Coimisiún na Meán be empowered to establish a dedicated media funds scheme to support existing public interest current affairs content at risk of becoming commercially unsustainable and that such a scheme should be assessed for state aid compliance on a stand-alone basis.”
“Harry Browne stated that the definition of "public service content provider" is more limited than it appears as many producers of content are not regulated by Coimisiún na Meán or subject to a self-regulatory mechanism such as the Press Council of Ireland. He proposed that amending this restriction would be in keeping with the spirit of pluralism. The written submissions and evidence presented to the committee resulted in a number of recommendations. I will briefly outline a number for the information of the House. Our report calls for a recognition of community media.”
“Screen Producers Ireland noted the definitions applied in determining what constitutes an independent production company for funding purposes can have a significant impact on the ecosystem of the sector and called for any debate on definitions to take place with careful considerations of the current national and European debates on this issue. The DCU Institute for Media, Democracy and Society questioned the definition of "public service user generated content". It welcomed the intent to permit public funding of content intended for online distribution but noted that the popular understanding of the term "user generated" may imply that funding could be afforded to non-professionals working outside of the appropriate regulatory structures. Dr.”
“They stated concerns about the lack of specific recognition afforded to the community media sector in the revised general scheme. CTA and CRAOL stated that community media has a distinct legal status and that references to local and regional media in the Bill may be understood in a way that excludes community media from supports. The National Union of Journalists, NUJ, raised a further issue of terminology, stating a preference for the term "private commercial sector" rather than "independent sector". NUJ stated that the term "independent sector" implies that in-house content produced by RTÉ and TG4 is not independent.”
“The proposal to extend Coimisiún na Meán regulations to all forms of content published by broadcasters was welcomed as it will prevent duplication and the risk of diverging regulatory decisions. Many stakeholders noted the benefits of increased spending on independent commissions and that, accounting for inflation, RTÉ investment in the independent sector is lower than in 2008. Screen Ireland noted that creating further opportunities for the independent sector will increase the sustainability of Ireland's screen sector. The engagement allowed stakeholders to bring a number of important issues to the attention of the committee. These included the Community Television Association, CTA, and Community Radio Ireland, CRAOL.”
“There is a need for inclusion of human resources, trade union affairs and governance and risk as relevant areas of expertise on boards, noting that the tradition of appointing persons with industrial relations backgrounds has been diminished. RTÉ welcomed the transition to multi-annual funding, which it states has enabled it to plan its transformation and give clarity to independent producers. Multi-annual funding gives certainty to public service broadcasters and independent production companies on the funding likely to be available, allowing for investment and development. There are long-standing concerns about the regulatory gap relating to online forms of content.”
“The committee engaged with 19 key stakeholders at four pre-legislative scrutiny meetings in public session. Written submissions were received from these stakeholders and a further nine stakeholders to assist the committee with its pre-legislative scrutiny. The stakeholders were invaluable in the scrutiny of this Bill and I will provide an overview of what was brought to light following their engagement. The first was the inclusion of geography as a key criterion for supporting under-served audiences. Trusted media organisations must be sustained to guarantee meeting the needs of under-served regions and calls for the provision of schemes supporting local publishers, a fair share of State advertising, fair remuneration from big tech platforms for use of news content, and defamation reform.”
“This report represents an opportunity for a once-in-a-generation step-change to the governance and support model of public service media in Ireland. The far-reaching significance of the report is reflected in the volume of work that has informed the committee and the volume of recommendations made by the committee. Some of the major themes and provisions of the Bill addressed in the committee's recommendations include: the reform of corporate governance and performance measurement of public service media providers; meeting the needs of under-serviced audiences; a transition to multi-annual funding settlements; the new platform-neutral media fund; protection of employment standards; the role of public service media in investing in independent media; and the need for strong protections relating to copyright and intellectual property.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport entitled "Report on Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the revised General Scheme of the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill", copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 17th September, 2025. I am delighted to have the opportunity to discuss in the Dáil the report on pre-legislative scrutiny of the revised general scheme of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill, which was published in September of last year. The revised Bill was referred to the Joint Committee on Arts, Media, Culture, Communications and Sport by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan, at the committee's first meeting, on 14 May 2025.”
“However, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have sat on this legislation for over three years, demonstrating once again that their priority is always the corporate bottom line over ordinary people. Sinn Féin's legislation would enhance the power of the energy regulator to hold energy companies to account, to tackle price gouging and to prioritise energy affordability. Until that is done, people will continue to fall into arrears in their electricity bills in the midst of this cost-of-living crisis. Half-measures will not make a difference and this has been proven. The Irish people are sick to the back teeth of being ripped off. They expect action from this Government but all they get is complacency. They expect accountability and all they get is deflection. They expect support and sadly all they are getting is shafted.”
“Joe and Mary Public have to pay twice the rate that multibillionaire data centre companies have to pay. Energy company profits are through the roof and yet the Government refuses to introduce a windfall tax. Profiteering and price gouging must not continue to go unchecked, and energy companies must be held to account. Just like in the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East has been exploited by corporate interests. Energy companies are laughing as they go off into the sunset with sky-high profits. Meanwhile, ordinary households are being fleeced. We in Sinn Féin have repeatedly warned the Government that the regulator must be given the powers to get this under control.”
“Another week and another Private Members' Bill to try to address the real issue that is adversely affecting the Irish people, and yet another seemingly disinterested and dismissive amendment from this do-nothing Government. What is beyond laughable is that it will ignore this issue and continue to inflict the highest energy bills in Europe on the Irish people. Then, come election time, the Government will suddenly be interested and most earnest and will introduce one-off or short-term measures to reduce people's gas and electricity bills and actually help them where it counts, namely in their pockets. That is one of the ideas in its playbook. Like all of its ideas, it has been worn out. It is too little too late. Let us get real. The energy bills the Irish people have to pay for are not fair. They are the highest in Europe.”
“Every application represents a person struggling to stay in their own home with the support of loved ones and, in many cases, in horrendous and substandard conditions. The fact remains that local authorities are under-resourced and citizens are suffering. Under-resourcing these vital schemes not only leads the elderly and vulnerable struggling, but pausing them also strips them of any viable pathway for a more comfortable life in their home for the rest of their days. The Minister for local government urgently needs to release more funding to Louth County Council for the housing adaptation schemes. I ask the Minister to take that message directly back to him today as a matter of urgency.”
“The Minister might get a sense of déjà vu because I spoke on this matter during Questions on Policy or Promised Legislation last May. For those who need these vital services in Louth, it is Groundhog Day. I raise the need for additional funding and resources for the three housing adaptation grant schemes in Louth. On 1 May, just over a third of the way through the year, Louth County Council had to close its applications for anything other than priority one applications. As the Minister will be aware, very few applications are categorised as priority one. This is not the first year that Louth County Council had to stop taking applications for these scheme only a fraction of the way into the year.”
“Participation levels are increasing day by day, but, unfortunately and sadly, so are costs for parents and clubs, as is the need for facilities for those who are competing at a competitive level. We are just not meeting the mark in that regard.”
“An adequate number of swimming pools for modern Ireland will not be delivered by the already oversubscribed large-scale sport infrastructure fund or the community sports facilities fund. The local authority swimming pool programme was to provide capital grant aid to local authorities for new, refurbished and upgraded swimming pools and never really did. Now the shift for future funding has moved to the LSSIF. If this remains the approach, then all of these supposedly ambitious public pools in Louth and Meath, in Drogheda, Dundalk, Trim and Navan, will have to continue to pay high rates to private commercial operators. I do not see this being delivered through this scheme. It is something that needs to be considered. This is an ever-growing sport.”
“It also means very early or late night swim times for clubs and competitors due to the sharing of facilities. All of this needs to be addressed. We need a research-based approach to building pools and we need to deliver them throughout the State. We need to support local authorities in an endeavour to deliver this as well. Action plans like the one the Minister of State mentioned provide everybody with an opportunity to swim. It is just not a reality. If it is, it is at an extensive cost to those who are participating this sport.”
“Ireland has only public pool per 81,000 people. That is a significant deficit compared with other nations like Scotland, which has one per 14,000 people. The Government, like previous Governments, has acknowledged the problem but there is no viable plan to resolve it. The Minister of State has accepted the Swim Ireland report, a pool within reach. That remains a distant reality amid critical swimming infrastructure gaps. There is just no movement in resolving the issues. This is not tomorrow's problem. There is not enough swimming infrastructure to sustain the current levels of participation, let alone plan for the future. Currently, swimming infrastructure in Ireland is almost entirely in private pools. That means increased cost for clubs, participants and the parents of children who want to swim.”
“Considering the significant deficiencies in Ireland's swimming pool infrastructure and the need for urgent investment, can the Minister of State make a statement outlining how we intend to action this, and provide some indicative timelines for same?”
“I will tell the Minister of State another thing: the silence in the south of Louth and Drogheda by Government representatives is absolutely astounding. I think that Government backbenchers will agree that this is the wrong decision and that it needs to be reversed.”
“The Minister of State is paying lip service to the dedication of the staff carrying the can for inadequate Government investment in areas ravaged on the basis of the criteria he listed, namely lone parenthood, unemployment and children living in State-funded emergency accommodation and international protection accommodation. We have Mosney seven minutes down the road and we have the D Hotel, the only large hotel in the town centre of Drogheda, which was ripped away by Government. It does not meet the Minister of State's criteria. It is an absolute insult to the schools and to the teachers who are carrying the can for this. Worse still, it is an insult to the children who need these State supports.”
“The exclusion directly contradicts the 2022 Pobal HP deprivation data and recommendations from the 2021 Geiran scoping report, which have been outlined already. In a town that is used to being treated unfairly by successive governments, and I do not say that lightly, this latest snub has gone beyond the pale. Behind this wrong decision by the Government, thousands of children are being left without. It needs urgent reconsideration for all those who are being left behind.”
“After the Government's DEIS plus announcement, Drogheda schools and community leaders collectively expressed absolute outrage and devastation at the fact that not one school in the largest town in this country was included in the new DEIS plus funding scheme despite several other schools at the other end of the county being included- fair play to them - but there is a blatant imbalance here. Local principals at these schools went as far as to say there was a de facto demotion for existing DEIS schools. How can people in our area have confidence in the Department of education when they are once again being snubbed by the Government and this Department on the provision of desperately needed DEIS placement in an area that is suffering severe deprivation?”
“Right through last year and continuing up to this week, I met principals of DEIS schools in Drogheda on various issues. Even back then, before the announcement of the DEIS plus scheme, it was very disheartening for schools to tell me they were very worried about being forgotten once more and as it turns out, they were right. DEIS schools in Drogheda provide an incredibly supportive environment for local children to thrive in. They are at the heart of communities that have been forgotten by successive governments.”
“I reassure anybody out who is watching today who has been affected similarly that Dignity4Patients has an ongoing helpline, Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are people there to listen and support them.”
“While the scoping exercise was an important and welcome step, it also exposed the lack of capacity to support victims and survivors. Adequate funding and resources must be provided to Dignity4Patients by the Government ahead of any potential next steps that follow this exercise. It is mind-boggling that it has not been provided with funding for an advocacy worker, despite submitting a business case for this, particularly when it is supported over 400 vulnerable people and brave survivors with only two advocacy team members. The State has a duty of care to survivors like Larry, Cianan, Gerard, Peter, Ian and many more like them. I am proud to personally know these men. I am immensely proud of their bravery. I thank them for trusting me with their painful experience.”
“This was the beginning of Michael Shine's well overdue downfall and exposure as the most prolific paedophile in Europe. She has been called a whistleblower. She is, in fact, a hero. The wheels of justice turned slowly and that is why in 2026 we are still looking for answers. I acknowledge the immense pain and trauma that survivors of Michael Shine have endured, the long and difficult path they have walked with Dignity4Patients in their fight for truth and justice, their positive engagement with the scoping inquiry and the ongoing campaign for a public inquiry. The Government must also support them to rebuild their lives. Through my own local engagement with survivors and their families, I know how important this support provided by Dignity4Patients is. The people of Drogheda and beyond rightly view this as a lifeline.”
“Just over a year ago, I had the privilege of hosting Dignity4Patients in Leinster House where five courageous survivors of convicted sexual abuser, Michael Shine, shared their testimonies with TDs, Senators and political staff. Survivors Larry, Cianan, Gerard, Peter and Ian spoke with one voice on behalf of the hundreds of known victims who had come forward. Their message was clear: truth matters and transparency matters. Complaints and reports of sexual abuse by Michael Shine were first made to hospital authorities as early as 1964 with more documented reports throughout the seventies and eighties. Victims have stated that this was an open secret at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, but nobody batted an eyelid. In 1995, Bernadette Sullivan, a nurse, stepped forward and made a formal complaint.”
“I doubt that even the do-nothing Government’s spokespeople could have a counter-argument for that point. To support workers to organise and facilitate greater trade union membership, Sinn Féin and the trade unions are calling on the Government to provide a legal right to collective bargaining through a union and to introduce a right for trade unions to access workplaces. The countermotion is an absolute insult to every worker right around this nation and I urge the Minister to listen to the contributions tonight, reflect on them and withdraw it.”
“This is why this motion has been brought in co-ordination with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, reflecting Sinn Féin’s ongoing engagement with the trade union movement and as part of Sinn Féin’s broader campaign to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and to strengthen workers’ rights and collective bargaining. There are a lot of jobs, but one in four jobs is low paid, insecure or lacking in decent conditions. The fear these workers have - and I ask the Minister to get it into his head that they are workers - is not a feeling that anyone in this State should be experiencing in this supposedly wealthy country in 2026. It is easy to have a budget surplus if money is not spent adequately and efficiently to resolve the problems in the country. Workers deserve fair pay, secure jobs and a stronger voice in the workplace.”
“I never imagined that I, as a first-time TD, would still need to speak about workers’ rights, rates of pay and fairness in employment. The phrase, “a decent day’s pay for an honest day’s work”, should have been long retired before 2026. This debate, which should not even be a debate, has been around since before I was born and before my parents and grandparents were born. The points being raised here are the same points raised for decades, with just a few modern adjustments, such as the right to remote work. However, we have to remember who has been in Government all that time. It is crazy to think that the Government parties have commemorated the 1913 Dublin Lockout and lauded the bravery of the workers taking on the big businesses, but 113 years later, it is still denying the workers trade union rights.”
“These include places such as Navan, Bray, Dundalk, Swords, Ennis, Letterkenny, Sligo, Tralee and many more. When they hit the criteria they too can apply for city status to have local government based locally, making decisions locally, to benefit all of what are now towns but are future cities. This is how we plan for the future. To enable Drogheda's unique heritage, history and location, and to realise its full potential, we need to advance this legislation. I sincerely hope that years of virtue signalling to Drogheda from various taoisigh and Ministers will transpire into support for the Bill.”
“City status is crucial to ensure that Drogheda and other large towns receive proper investment in infrastructure, services and jobs rather than being treated merely as commuter towns. I do not claim to have a magic wand that will fix everything we have wanted for years but I believe this mechanism would pave the first step on a pathway to greater things. I stood for election on the platform of elevating city status for Drogheda and I am unapologetic in my attempts to deliver real change and local democracy for the place I call home. This is why I have spent the first 13 months as a TD working with the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers to produce this legislation. I emphasise that the same criteria contained in the Bill can be used for other large towns throughout the State to apply for city status for their respective areas.”
“The Government's local government reforms in 2001 and 2014 have led to a downgrade of local government and more centralisation of powers instead of improving local government and delivering real local democracy. The Minister, Deputy Browne, recently noted that right now there are no formal criteria for awarding city status. Under the Planning and Development Act 2024 a city is defined primarily by its administrative status rather than population size. This is why I am introducing the Bill so that for the first time there will be formal criteria enshrined in law that can be used to award city status, with population size as the main factor for approval. If the Bill receives enough support in the Dáil and Seanad and becomes an Act, Drogheda will become the municipal district of Drogheda city.”
“The local democracy task force was established by this Government last year after years of debates and concerns about what went so terribly wrong with the Local Government Act 2014 and other aspects of our weak local democracy. City status, however, is not even being considered. Only a few moments ago, the Taoiseach referred to his own disappointment with the task force's lack of focus on urban councils. The Council of Europe has consistently highlighted this State as having one of the weakest and most centralised systems of local government in Europe. We have to try to do something different. We in Sinn Féin will not be found wanting in making positive changes to empower local democracy.”