Joe Conway
Cultural and Educational Panel · Independent · Ireland
“I move amendment No. 73: In page 41, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “Report on the protection of whistleblowers 63. The Minister shall within 12 months of the commencement of this Act lay a report detailing how whistleblowers who expose information related to artificial intelligence technologies can receive enhanced pro…”
“I want to be associated with the congratulatory remarks for Senator Byrne. I want to put on the record of the House the decorous and sincere apology given on behalf of the State by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, and attested to by the other party leaders, to the victims of the Kenneally abuse in Waterford.”
“Yesterday, I had a meeting in Leinster House with a visually impaired artist and a namesake of mine, Emilie Conway from Mayo. She was the recipient of an Arts Council open competition bursary, which she was delighted to get. She thought it would make a big change to her life. It did, but it also had a downside.”
“Chuala mé níos túisce ar maidin an Teachta Moynihan ag labhairt ar an raidió faoi chás na e-scooters agus an méid oibre atá déanta ag An Garda Síochána chun iad a bhaint de na sráideanna agus stop a chur leis an dainséar. It was a point very well made by Deputy Moynihan.”
“When we come back after the recess, we should have a comprehensive debate in this House with the Minister where we can ventilate our concerns about various road safety matters. I do not want to labour the point, but we can see that things are not getting better in relation to road safety.”
“Senator McCarthy talked about what happened at London recently. It is happening at airports all over the world. The resilience factor and regional airports are very important. There has to be a plan B if the big airport goes down. That is self-evident. I am happy to indicate those items that are of concern to me.”
The complete record
Every one of 675 lines we hold for Joe Conway, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 14.
“Ba mhaith liomsa ar an gcéad dul síos fíorchaoin fáilte a chur roimh an Aire as teacht isteach go dtí an Teach anocht le héisteacht agus deileáil leis an gcás casta seo faoi scoliosis. It is coming up on 70 years since a young Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy, wrote a book called Profiles in Courage . In it, he outlined the exploits and achievements of eight heroic Senators in the history of the United States since the civil war. It got me thinking that like the eight heroic Senators, the six Senators who devised this Bill for the House are a heroic six to whom we owe a great deal, in particular, Senator McDowell for his drafting of the Bill, but also the other enlightened Senators who put their names to it and made it all possible.”
“Más é an cás go bhfuil cuid suntasach na múinteoirí i mbunscoileanna neamhlitrithe go feidhmiúil sa Ghaeilge, agus tá mé beagnach cinnte gurb é sin an cás, ní mór dúinn infheistíocht a dhéanamh i múinteoirí speisialtóireachta don Ghaeilge agus infheistiú i bhfad níos leithne a dhéanamh i scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge chun an líon seo a ardú, b’fhéidir, ó 6%, mar atá ann faoi láthair, go dtí 20% sna blianta amach romhainn. Mar fhocail scoir, is mian liom gach rath a sheoladh chuig gach dream agus duine atá cromadh ar an obair ar son ár dteanga dúchais. Tá sé de dhualgas orainn an teanga sin a mhúineadh do na glúnta atá le teacht le moladh, bolscaireacht agus le reachtaíocht fhorásach sna Tithe Parlaiminte seo.”
“Mar shampla, tá an Choirnis, Cornish, agus an Mhanainnis, Manx, beagnach imithe as an saol. Tá an Gàidhlig, an Ghaeilge, an Bhriotáinis agus an Bhreatainis ag streachailt in aghaidh beatha teanga móire, an Bhéarla, mar a bhíonn i gcónaí. Má tá seans ann go mbeidh muid in ann meath na teanga a cheartú i ngnáthscoileanna náisiúnta, beidh gá le hathrú bunúsach a dhéanamh ar mhúnla an oideachais teanga atá in úsáid go forleathan faoi láthair.”
“Faigheann siad an grád ach ní an líofacht. Tá an cumas úsáide in easnamh ansin. Ní féidir linn an Ghaeilge a aththógáil inár mbunscoileanna nuair atá cuid mhór den lucht teagaisc neamhlitrithe ó thaobh fheidhmiú na teanga de. Is dúshlán ollmhór é seo don Roinn Oideachais, do na coláistí agus, go deimhin, dúinn mar reachtóirí. Caithfidh muid a bheith ag cur na ceiste crua, cén fáth a bhfuil muid ag infheistiú i ndeich mbliain de Ghaeilge éigeantach ar scoil ach nuair a chuireann tú ceist shimplí ar pháiste 14 bhliain d’aois nó mar sin, féachann sé nó sí ort mar a bheadh sé nó sí lámhaite. The really existential question for Gaeilge is the quality of teaching in the primary schools. Tá stair na dteangacha Ceilteacha le 200 bliain anuas ina scéal faoi streachailt, dúshláin, meath agus lánmhúchadh.”
“Mar sin, is féidir an teanga a úsáid mar nasc idir ár ndaoine in áit í a úsáid mar thua chultúrtha. Chaith mé tromlach mo shaoil ag múineadh i mbunscoil. Ó d’fhág mé an seomra ranga in 2005, áfach, bhí mé ag obair go leanúnach le hoiliúint a chur ar ábhair múinteoirí. Thug sé sin deis dom a bheith sa chéadta seomra thall is abhus sa tír seo ag féachaint ar theagasc ár n-ábhar, an Ghaeilge san áireamh. Chun an pictiúr is fearr a dhéanamh de, tá teagasc na Gaeilge i bhformhór ranganna, mar a fheicim, lochtach ar leibhéal amháin nó eile. Go ginearálta, is í líofacht íseal na múinteoirí sa Ghaeilge is cúis leis an chuid is mó de. Is é an grád C ar ardleibhéal atá riachtanach le dul isteach sna coláistí oiliúna ach tá ag éirí le cuid mhaith daoine an grád C a bhaint amach de dheasca ranganna breise nó grind schools.”
“Is dócha go bhfuil an Roinn Pobal i dTuaisceart na hÉireann ag obair ar aghaidh le polasaithe comhionannais don Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn, ach tá a ladar curtha isteach ag páirtithe agus daoine aonair atá toilteanach an Ghaeilge a úsáid mar bhata i saghas cogaidh chultúrtha. Ní hionann é seo is a rá go bhfuil an doicheall sin á thaispeáint ag na gnáthPhrotastúnaigh i dTuaisceart na hÉireann, nó in aon áit, faoin Ghaeilge. Leanann an chuid is mó dóibh an traidisiún éirimiúil a bhí ag daoine cosúil le Samuel Ferguson, Dubhghlas de hÍde, agus inár laethanta féin, George Otto Simms. Tá an traidisiún sin fós beo go fóill mar thug mé faoi deara an tseachtain seo chaite go bhfuil iris nua foilsithe ag deoise Tuama, Luimnigh agus Chill Dalua de chuid Eaglais na hÉireann, dar teideal Dea-Scéala . Tá ailt dheasa i nGaeilge istigh inti.”
“De réir Páirt 17 den chairt sin, ceanglaítear Rialtas na Breataine chun tuarascáil a sholáthar gach uile trí bliana ar an bplean atá á shaothrú aige agus ar na socraithe atá leagtha síos aige de réir na cairte maidir leis an nGaeilge i dTuaisceart na hÉireann. Ó shíníodh na cairte, tá an grúpa idir-rannach, is é sin an interdepartmental charter implementation group, ICIG, sa department for communities, ag obair chun cabhrú le lucht riarachán phoiblí sa Tuaisceart a ndualgais chairte a chomhlíonadh. Tá ionadaithe ag an ICIG ó gach Roinn i dTuaisceart na hÉireann agus ó gach Roinn de chuid Whitehall a fheidhmíonn i dTuaisceart na hÉireann.”
“Gabhaim buíochas go hoifigiúil le baill Údarás na Gaeltachta as a gcuid muiníne agus as an díograis a thaispeánann siad ina gcuid oibre gan stad ar son pobal na Gaeltacha agus na Gaeilge araon. Ar feadh ceithre bliana ó 2006 go dtí 2010, bhí sé de phribhléid dom ionadaíocht a dhéanamh d’Éirinn i CLRAE, sé sin comhairle na n-údaráis áitiúla i gComhairle na hEorpa i Strasbourg. Thug sé seo léargas géar dom ar an gCairt Eorpach um Theangacha Réigiúnacha nó Mionlaigh, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Shínigh Rialtas na Breataine an chairt sin in 2000 agus tháinig sé i bhfeidhm in 2001.”
“Ba mhaith liom aontú leis na rudaí atá ráite cheana. Cuirim fáilte Uí Cheallaigh roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Buttimer, agus é tagtha isteach anseo agus é ag labhairt Gaeilge álainn. Sin a chuala mise ar aon nós. Mar dhuine úr sa Teach seo, táim thar a bheith sásta le cúpla seachtain anuas a leithéid de Ghaeilge a chloisteáil sa tSeanad seo. Creidim go bhfuil sé ceart agus cóir don Teach seo a bheith bródúil as an leibhéal seo d’úsáid na Gaeilge. Tá súil agam go leanfaidh sé seo agus go gcothóidh sé seasamh agus staid na Gaeilge inár saol parlaiminte. Gabhaim fíorbhuíochas le baill Údarás na Gaeltachta a thug a n-ainmniúchán dom le dul san iomaíocht i dtoghchán an tSeanaid le déanaí. Bhí mé i mo chomhalta ar bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta go dtí deireadh na bliana seo caite agus bhí mé mórpháirteach ina chuid oibre.”
“When they go to establish their birth credentials in the form of the birth certificate from the United Kingdom Government, they have reported inordinate delays and difficulties in doing so. If the Minister of State could check the procedure that is used to give out British birth certificates to the children of diaspora who have had children and families in the United Kingdom, it would probably be a good day's work.”
“I might just say a couple of things - not that I want to steal Senator Clonan's thunder. I have absolutely no idea what he was about to say or enliven the debate with. There are two matters I want to address. They came up in the course of the Minister of State's contribution. The first is that he had the great fortune to share an aircraft with the Longford team returning to the west midlands. As a proud Longford man loaned to Waterford for the past 40 years, I have no doubt that he was richly entertained both in song and story by the aforementioned team. On a more serious note, is the Minister of State in a position to look at the difficulties that have been reported to me by members of the diaspora around the world who may wish to have Irish passports but who were born and reared in the United Kingdom?”
“It also raised issues regarding the record-keeping in relation to the decision that the portfolio be purchased in cash. Senators will recognise that the time this was all done was around 2012. It was within a short remit of the peace process. We know that in 2012, there was a shocking amount of cash washing around in the Northern Ireland economy. I am worried about that.”
“The report said it had identified some aspects of the process that are subject to criticism, albeit that these issues did not impact on the price ultimately achieved for the portfolio, which was £1.322 billion. The commission of investigation said the application of an adjustment of £85 million in relation to some properties was "not appropriate", however. The report also called into question a valuation placed on the portfolio by the CEO, saying that it was not mathematically precise but merely represented a "reasonable estimate". It was also critical of a decision to set a minimum price below the book value of the portfolio without it being properly documented. This is one of the sections that I find particularly upsetting.”
“Its report found that the strategy was appropriate in the circumstances, but raised issues regarding the agency's handling of conflicts of interest. If I can go further down through the report, the commission found that NAMA "correctly and robustly" declined to sanction any fee paid to certain people. The commission also accepted that the failure by NAMA to reappoint certain persons may well have been damaging to "highly politically sensitive" North-South relations. The report also found that NAMA should have brought certain disclosures to the attention of the NAMA board in advance of them considering the reappointment of external members, and that this would have enabled the board of NAMA to make an informed and considered decision.”
“Ba mhaith liomsa ar an gcéad dul síos tagairt a dhéanamh do thuarascáil ar dhéanadh le déanaí ar the National Asset Management Agency. This publication came to light recently and was submitted to the Taoiseach. It is a report on the National Asset Management Agency's disposal of its Northern Ireland loan portfolio, Project Eagle, and was submitted to the Taoiseach pursuant to section 32 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 by the Commission of Investigation (National Asset Management Agency) on 4 October 2024. I ask the Cathaoirleach to bear with me while I dig out my technology here. This commission of investigation was appointed to examine the sales of assets in Northern Ireland by the State assets management agency, NAMA.”
“I commend all of the local authorities, one of which I was a member of until recently, for the fantastic work that they did. Storms occur where we are located in the north-east Atlantic and we get errant winds from the Gulf of Mexico or, as some would have it, the "Gulf of America". These things happen. Trying to manage them is the essence of the response but we should not have a national splurge on blaming people. Look positively on it. The local authorities, our services, including emergency services, and our forecasters performed amazingly well. I would love it if we put a bit of perspective on this whole debate and just took it as a matter of fact. We live in an Atlantic climate, we get on with it and we live life, and we enjoy the fruits of our beautiful climate and withstand the outrages when they come.”
“What preoccupied the front page was the simultaneous tragedy of Jadotville - the loss of Irish troops and the great emergency there. The point I am making is that life goes on. Storms happen. I was not there in 1839, of course, but we had the Oíche na Gaoithe Móire - the Night of the Big Wind - when approximately 200 people were killed in Ireland. With Storm Éowyn, I believe we had one fatality, relating to a sleep apnoea machine that stopped working. There is a danger when confronted by these natural disasters that we can get beset by national navel gazing and devolve into b'fhéidir go bhfuilimid ar tí do-athraithe mar chalóga sneachta or, as one of the denizens of the Lower House uses the language, "snowflakes". We can become snowflakey in these matters.”
“The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber. I will give a tiny bit of historical perspective to this debate on Storm Éowyn. Looking around the Chamber, I do not think anybody else here is venerable enough to remember Hurricane Debbie in the middle of September 1961. I do. It was a ferocious storm. I remember standing in the clump in our front garden watching mature beech, oak and elm trees - we had elm trees in Ireland at that stage - being ripped and tossed out of the ground with gay abandon. There were 15 fatalities, but guess what? The hurricane occurred on a Saturday. The following Monday, even though the storm claimed 15 lives in Ireland, it only got one third of the front page of the Cork Examiner .”
“We should put pressure on the logjam here to release the money and let those organisations that so desperately need it get the airgead atá tuillte acu.”
“I am asking every Member of the House to go back to his or her party and bring instant and formidable pressure on the parties to ensure this does not remain behind the door and that the money is released to the organisations around the country that so desperately need it for the housekeeping matters itemised by Senator Cosgrove in her contribution. I am sometimes at a loss to know why this business of the Gaeilge is brought up as a type of meme or a Luddite attitude, perhaps most significantly among the DUP north of the Border. It seems that the DUP uses the Irish language as a sort of cultural meme to slap down uppity Taigs who are pursuing their cultural identity. Many people in these Houses would agree when I say that the days of slapping down uppity Taigs are long gone.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, tacaím go hiomlán leis an Seanadóir Cosgrove as an méid a dúirt sí faoin saghas stailce atá ar siúl inniu maidir le comhphobal na Gaeilge agus muintir na Gaeltachta. The ad hoc strike of 40 or more organisations is taking place today mar tá a ladar curtha isteach ag an DUP i Rialtas Thuaisceart na hÉireann. It has stuck its oar in to obstruct the payment of €820,000 to Foras na Gaeilge. Effectively, unless there is cross-Border unity on this matter, the money will not be disbursed.”
“I wish to very briefly register my dissatisfaction with the way the ballot is being conducted in public and to reiterate, notwithstanding the great worthiness of both candidates, that I will not be participating in the election today for the reasons outlined by Senator McDowell.”
“This is in order that we could go in and do some sort of what might be called a soft investigation of the levels of disadvantage in these rural schools to enable us to get a better picture of the situation. I hope that before the end of this calendar year we will get a chance to compile a report and bring it to all the Members here. I ask that the Ceannaire include this in his diary and that when we get to the point where we would be able to look at the report, he invite the Minister for Education to the House in order that we might have a good, comprehensive debate on rural disadvantage in primary schools. I thank the Leader and Members. I look forward to working with them all, as well as the team here in the Seanad, including the Clerk and his staff. I am thankful for the courtesy extended to me during the election.”
“Senator Tully has just addressed this issue and I want to place further emphasis on it. With regard to primary education, many of us know about the DEIS initiative begun by the Department of Education approximately 20 years ago. It has operated very successfully as an initiative but, unfortunately, it does not reach into what we in the countryside would call rural educational disadvantage. I contend it is not a good fit for that. To that end, I have been in touch with a score of my hitherto fellow councillors around the country, ó na ceithre hairde, and have asked them to do the introductions to rural schools in the north, south, east and west.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas ó chroí a ghabháil leat agus tú tofa mar Chathaoirleach an Tí stairiúil seo. Ina theannta sin, déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine. Tá sé tuillte ag gach duine anseo a togadh. Last week at the start of the Twenty-seventh Seanad, many Members from throughout the country celebrated the great heterogeneity of the Membership. It is wonderful that we have such a broad perspective and depth of experience from all arts and parts of the country. Gura fada buan é sin ar aghaidh. Senators are very aware that, as a result of this great perspective, there will be a great appreciation of the high quality of life we have in this country. Unfortunately, that quality of life does not extend to the realms of education.”