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.”
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“It goes significantly upwards to countries like the Netherlands, which has 40-odd days. Spain is at the top of the group with 114 days of paternity leave. All the statistics show that depending on the level of the father's engagement in the time after the birth, both supporting his partner and supporting the child, so will be the benefits that redound on the child as it goes through preschool, schooling years and afterwards. We must not, as a society, see this as just supporting the mental and physical health of women. The men support the child as well and they support their partners. The whole family unit, the teaghlach Senator Clonan mentioned, will be greatly enhanced if there are more supports in our society for men as well.”
“I looked at a couple of statistics in preparation for our debate this afternoon. I do not want to be in any way ungenerous to the motion because it is important that we acknowledge the great difficulty that assails the bodies and minds of women in expecting children, delivering them and nurturing them afterwards. It is an immensely challenging time. However, I do not want us to think it is just a female obligation because we have to acknowledge that we have a male input into this. Depending on the level of support those males get, so will be the benefit for that child as the child grows up. I would like to look at the paternity benefits and provisions that are made for men in Ireland. After the arrival of a child, they get 14 days of statutory leave. If you look down through the EU list, that is pretty well at the bottom of the pile.”
“The point I am making is that when my own children came along, I felt that as a person trained as an educationalist I was probably a bit more advantaged than the normal young man at the time because I had been professionally taught to look into the development, arrival, growth and personality of children. That was a rich resource given to me in parenting. Having said that, in the same way most other parents would acknowledge, and we have lots of parents in this room, the one thing they will agree with me in saying is that parenting is not an exact science. When it starts, most of us muddle through trauma, nights of sleeplessness and exhaustion and dissociation from normal working life. Lots of things go on that make it a difficult time, notwithstanding the great joy of new life and all that goes with it.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, tacaím le Senator Cosgrove and Senator Harmon in front of me on this enlightened and, as always, timely motion for the House to consider regarding the arrival of new life on our planet and country and all that goes with that. Back in the day, when I was being educated in St. Patrick's College in Drumcondra to befit me for a life of teaching, one of the most weighty tomes we had on our library shelves was a book called Child Development and Personality . I am sure Senator Clonan will probably remember that. It was a doorstopper of a book. Nonetheless, it was a very useful book and we reverted to it time and again when training to be teachers.”
“Last night I read that consideration is being given to increasing the cap from 10,000 to 20,000. I wonder whether the Minister of State can confirm whether this is the case. With regard to the statute bar on seven-year usage on Airbnb and the like, will it still apply under the mooted new regulations?”
“Currently, on Airbnb [the most regular site for rentals] there are only approximately 12 entire properties available for holiday rental in Tramore. I believe it is fair to say that this town is not overrun with Airbnbs. The accommodation alternatives are pretty scarce. Once again, I would question why this rushed, blanket approach is being taken that will, in my opinion, obliterate the sector, not only in Waterford but across the country. Changes to planning and registration should indeed be undertaken but the rules need to be carried out with more context and due diligence. The process should be efficient, affordable and reflect the situational circumstances of the applicant and the related property. He goes on to sign the letter. As is said in the media, the name and address is with the editor.”
“On 20 May registration will be compulsory, but the implications for my family income, and our ability to provide much-needed local holiday accommodation remain totally unclear. This shotgun approach is apparently being rushed in over a very short period, with no consultation. For example, in my case, my property was previously rented out to long term tenants for over 15 years. Most tenants were good but certainly not all. It was quite stressful with no real support from the RTB. I am sorry to say that I am unlikely to ever rent to long-term tenants again due to my experiences. The new six-year tenancy changes have also ensured my exit from that market. Tramore is both a thriving community and a well-known tourist town.”
“In short, from May 2026, all short-term properties need to have council short-term usage planning permission to get a Bord Fáilte registration. Commercial operation cannot proceed without this registration. There are many confusing messages being communicated but my summary would be that I will lose my income from my holiday rental in Tramore as 'change of planning permission is unlikely to be granted where populations are greater than 10,000'. Tramore has 11,277 according to the latest census figures. From a recent webinar, 'in urban areas (currently defined as population greater than 10,000) a broad presumption is against granting change of use planning permission'.”
“Táim fíorbhuíoch den Chathaoirleach gur roghnaigh sé seo mar cheann de na Nithe i dtosach suíonna ar maidin. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch chomh maith leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Feighan, as a bheith i láthair le déileáil leis an gceist thábhachtach seo. Ní féidir liom an cheist seo a phlé ar bhealach níos gonta ná trí cheann de na litreacha a fuair mé ó dhaoine i bPort Láirge a léamh. Léifidh mé amach é, ach déanfaidh mé píosa eagarthóireachta air chun aon aitheantas a cheilt. I will read it almost in its entirety and it will explain the matter at issue: I am writing to you as my public representative because I have concerns about the impact on my small Airbnb business in Tramore resulting from proposals for linking the EU Short-Term Rental Register with Planning legislation.”
“It is all about preparedness and trying to get our sense of preparedness up to the best we can be. None of us are ever going to be perfectly able to address these unprecedented weather events. There is going to be flooding and grief coming down the line but if we work together co-operatively, realise what our strengths are and encourage one another to respond to these events then we are far more likely to address them in a satisfactory and provident way.”
“The work that Met Éireann does in preparing us for significant and unprecedented weather events should be endorsed and staff there should be told that they are doing a good job, by and large. I do not think there is much to be gained by the Minister throwing them under the bus at a time like that. Their work should be endorsed and we should thank them in the same way that we thank him and his Department for the enlightened and very proactive way they are addressing the threats that are coming down the line. We have things to learn from this. There is an old Irish expression with which I am sure many Members are familiar - Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scolb. It goes back to the time of thatching. For those who are not overly versed in the Gaeilge, it means the windy day is not the day for thatching.”
“The forecast would tell us that there will be showers down along the west coast, winds will be picking up on the Irish Sea and the temperatures will be X. It was a fairly bland thing. Now we have access to a much more exact prediction of the weather on our phones. Met Éireann does a damn good job in forecasting the weather. In our county it is normally west Waterford that gets the flooding, overtopping and bad problems with estuaries but this time, it was the east of the county. In fact, it was the entire eastern coastline, which is not famed for getting rainfall at all. It just shows the unpredictability of these unprecedented weather events. When I was the principal of a small school in Waterford I used to say, in relation to staff, that everybody likes to be told when they are doing a good job.”
“After autumn there is a lot of leaf litter around. Maybe, as Senator O'Flaherty said, there were errors made in terms of not cleaning gullies and so on but I do not want to concentrate on that. As far as I can see from a layman's standpoint, all of the agencies are trying to work together with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. The latter's background is in the Shannon floodplains and Senator Flaherty and myself, who come from that neck of the woods, know what Shannon flooding is like and the desecration it causes. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, more than most, will know what is involved in addressing these issues and I wish him well. When I was a child growing up, we had the weather forecast which was a very generic, broad sweep of the pen.”
“The venting and slushing waters came down the hill from the brook, overtopping and running down into the streets. I was there on Sunday morning and I saw skips full of detritus, including mattresses, suites of furniture and so on. I saw older people out talking to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran. They were near to tears and were trying to extract a promise from him that he really could not give. He cannot wave a magic wand over these things and correct them straightaway. It is a longish process. Water has to dry out and all of those things. I will not rattle on here unduly, telling the local authorities how they should do their job. As the expression goes, I would not be one to tell a grandmother how to suck eggs. The local authorities have been doing this work le fada an lá and by and large, they do it very well.”
“Funding has been promised and is there to be used. For people in distress after suffering flood damage, that is a very good message to hear. Obviously, the solutions do not come quickly enough. Most of us in this room are fortunate enough to be householders but any householder who has had water coming up through the floor or down through the ceiling knows, as per the truism, that water in the wrong place is an absolute persecution. It is a nightmare when that is writ large in a town or a village, as it was in Passage East when the brook overtopped at around 2.30 a.m., coinciding with high tide. People found themselves out on the street and the place flooded very badly. This is a very settled coastal community with a lot of old people living on Post Office Square and in Brookside.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I wish to raise a number of issues related to the recent weather problems that we had, particularly in the south east. The Minister has already adverted to that and God knows, the people of Wexford have been well scourged with the weather events of late. In Waterford we also had some notable difficulties. I was out in the community last Sunday morning meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, who visited. It was very good of him to come down. He spent his time on the road over last Friday, Saturday and Sunday going around to afflicted areas. It was as much a morale-boosting exercise as a delineation of the plan of action that he hopes to effect. I was encouraged by what he said. The tenor of what he said was that money is not a big problem at this stage.”
“I was very pleased to hear the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, mention skills for green initiatives. From the weather we have had for the last 30 days or so, we can see the difficulties we have with the climate. We will be talking about that later, during the next debate. It is wonderful that there are apprenticeships focused on the green economy and green skill sets. Being progressive and earning a good living does not have to be about "Drill, baby, drill". It is far more likely to be about "Skills, baby, skills". That is what we are focusing on in this debate, the plenitude of skills that are being encouraged by the apprenticeship model and the enlightened message Government is sending. I sound like a Fianna Fáil representative here-----”
“The antithesis of this, that is, poor planning in apprenticeships, can be seen in the news from our neighbouring economy that I read last weekend. The apprenticeship module in the UK is being cut from 18 months to three. I fail to see what can be done to make an impression on apprenticeships, the economy or the skills shortage in the UK if apprenticeship programmes as short as three months are to be rolled out. The programme here can take apprenticeships to the level of a full degree, level 8, and even to levels 9 and 10. That gives status and self-esteem to people in trades that were often looked at as the laggards of the economy. There are now 78 different disciplines in the apprenticeship system. It is the model for a successful economy.”
“Geallaim di go mbeidh mé ag féachaint ar an gclár an Domhnach seo chugainn. This House is certainly not remiss. I have been in the House for only one year and one week and over the past year, we have had two evenings of debate on apprenticeships and their importance. On the most recent occasion, we were visited by the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, and this time we are joined by the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. The Minister of State outlined the work that she and the Minister, Deputy Lawless, are doing in relation to apprenticeships and many other spheres of higher education and it is a catalogue of very impressive work. I do not often say that to Ministers who come in but it is very impressive. Deputy Harkin's heart is in the right place on this. Go n-éirí go geal léi san obair atá os a comhair.”
“I talked earlier to John, who told me that tradesmen, electricians and all sorts of people in the trades and skills sector are flying from Dublin on Sunday evening and working week on, week off and doing amazing work all around Europe. They are, in a very practical way, the new skills ambassadors for the progressive economy we have. They are saying more than the Ministers who will go abroad in a few weeks' time to tell their stories. The practical work being done by Irish skills in those economies is an unsung tale of patriotism and economic input. Ba mhaith liom an t-éacht atá déanta ag Katelyn Cummins mar Rose of Tralee agus an jab atá á dhéanamh aici a lua. Níl mórán suime agam sa damhsa ach chuala mé ó mo bhean chéile go bhfuil Katelyn Cummins go sármhaith ag damhsa.”
“Senator Ryan adverted to the fact that the trends are going in the right direction, from 1,000 to 3,000. In the overall context of the numbers of apprenticeships, however, we have serious questions to consider about the gender balance in apprenticeships and changing the mindset of the nation about apprenticeships. It goes back to schools. I often say, as a former teacher, that schools are far from perfect organisations. They do an awful lot of good but in the whole area of career guidance, counselling and outlining career paths for their pupils, perhaps there is a reticence in the career guidance module that does not give due credit or gravitas to the path of apprenticeships and what they can do for the economy.”
“Steve, for example, made sure she was here tonight. She has a hectic schedule. Of course, possibly the unsung heroes of the apprenticeship are John and Noreen, who afforded Katelyn the apprenticeship. A succinct deal is done between a person who wants to enter a trade, learn and perfect it and graduate from it with high levels of qualifications. Speaking of high levels of qualifications, a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of being the Mayor of Waterford. One of the pleasant jobs I had was that I was asked to go to the South East Technological University to confer degrees on a class of apprentices. There were approximately 80 of them and the vast majority were sparkies, electricians. If there was a small downside to the joyous occasion, it was that almost exclusively the graduates that evening were male. That tells its own story.”
“Ar an gcéad dul síos, cuirim fáilte chaoin roimh an Aire Stáit atá i láthair anocht agus roimh na cuairteoirí sa Ghailearaí thall ansin. In adverting to the people in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, I draw attention to the blueprint for what we would see as a successful apprenticeship. It is novel in some ways. I thank Samantha Long, our capa in the Seanad Independent Group, for suggesting and organising the invitation to Katelyn to be here. We can advertise and promote apprenticeships at great expense and at some length, but when it is fixed onto a personage and a personality, and somebody who is in the limelight and is conscious of an awful lot of positive images for young people, it says more than all the money that is spent on advertising campaigns. I am delighted not just to have Katelyn here. There are many other stories there.”
“People say in politics you should hasten slowly but the Government and all of us should drive on resolutely on this issue. I would not be one to tell the Minister of State her own business but it is not just important to do the right thing but also, very obviously, to be seen to be doing the right thing. There is no point in bringing in progressive initiatives like this if you are not shouting it from the rooftops. Sin mo cheannsa. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for, as always, the very inclusive way she conducts her debates and for all the people who spoke in support of the motion. If it got a little personal and emotional at one stage, my apologies but sin an rud.”
“That tells its own poignant story about the accessibility to the shingles vaccinations. I have no doubt the people who have co-signed the motion will move might and main. This is naked politics but I know Active Retirement Ireland, its 850,000 members and the people who co-signed this motion want to put this issue front and centre in the two by-elections coming up in Gaillimh Thiar and Dublin Central. Those people - the over 65s - are voters, as I reminded the Minister of State when she was here at the outset. Their voice will carry sway. I am glad this House has taken the opportunity to say there is not the same trenchant opposition to this proposal as there was a while back and that people are viewing this positively.”
“I thank Active Retirement Ireland, my PA, Niamh, who did huge work on this and of course, my wife Sandra, for being here today. Pharma companies are sometimes portrayed as being venal and out for profit but I have to say the inclusive and supportive way GlaxoSmithKline helped me with the figures and perspectives on this was immense. I also thank Ross Mac Mathúna and Marguerite - who was in here last week - from the bottom of my heart. They mentioned that someone they knew had done a heat map on the uptake of the private shingles vaccination and not surprisingly, the deep red areas were in places like Cork city south, the Dunmore Road area of Waterford city and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in greater Dublin, to mention a few. The pale yellows and white areas were predominantly in rural Ireland and areas with high levels of social housing.”
“It was very uplifting to get that level of support when you are putting down a Private Members' motion. There are other people, of course. Last week, when I was trying to work through the mechanics of the Private Members' motion - because I still have a big L plate up here - the support I got from Martin Hughes and Carmel Considine, as well as the level of support and inclusiveness in this House, was mind-blowing. The Minister of State also contributed to that today in coming here to make her replies. Often, we have been told that when rising to reply, you should contain a couple of punchy things to say back at Ministers because you know you are the last person on his or her feet, so nobody can come back at you. I want to indicate a couple of things.”
“People will ask what is the purpose of the Seanad, and this is a wonderful example of the efficacy of the House, that people who are lowly backbenchers like myself can work with the Government Senators. It was a very enlightened approach by the Government and I am immensely thankful to Government and the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, because I know she has an almost impossible job to do, as does the Minister of State. I am in great admiration of her can-do attitude in her work and I have no doubt her efforts will be crowned with success. To Senators Costello and Ahearn and all the other Government Senators, the constancy of their support has been very gratifying for me and my colleagues in the Seanad Independent Group. I also thank the civic group, Sinn Féin and the Labour Party and all the people who co-signed the motion.”
“I recall at the end of it, she definitively said to me she would go back to the Minister and gave me her word that she would put her points to her. I have no doubt that she did because I can see we have come a good way from that Commencement motion some months ago.”
“He was a charming old guy, an inoffensive bachelor uncle, but after shingles he suffered two strokes, multiple falls involving fractures, and serious loss of speech and communication until, finally, his body was invaded with hideous melanoma, which at length saw his demise. He is just one of the hundreds annually, and it need not be like this. The stealthy, insidious onslaught of shingles was summed up to me recently by one person infected: I was fit and healthy...I never saw it as ... [something that would happen] to me. The pain was the worst ever, 24/7 and nothing eased it. It was six weeks before it got bearable, but two years on, it still comes back. At this stage, I doubt if I'll ever get rid of it completely. Molaim an rún seo. I commend this motion to our House.”
“I am asserting in the strongest way I can in this House that Ireland should not remain an outlier in Europe when it comes to the protection of its older and immunocompromised citizens from the increased risk of shingles infection and its serious associated health complications. There is a real inequality issue on our island between those who can afford to buy the vaccine privately and those who cannot and between those living in the Six Counties and those in the Twenty-six Counties. My uncle contracted shingles when he was in his early 70s. This is just a case in point. It heralded a catalogue of health reversals.”
“That engagement concluded with the company submitting a best and final offer through the Department of Health which was at least as good as that offered to the larger European markets. Currently, this offer has not been accepted but we are very hopeful. Ireland, as we stand, is now an outlier when compared with our neighbours in the UK and Europe. One could reasonably ask how other European countries that have assessed the vaccine have decided that it represents a good use of resources and Ireland has not. Are they looking in truth and comprehensively at the value in a wider context, including the growing cost of caregivers' time, time off work, hospitalisations, of which there are many, the propensity down the road for dementia and so on?”
“A shingles programme is widely funded in the US, totally in Australia, and in some provinces of Canada for older citizens. As can be seen from all of the above, the vaccine is available in both older and newer European countries and older and newer democracies. It is not just a vaccine for wealthy countries. A few years ago, the Minister for Health at the time asked HIQA to perform a health technology assessment on the shingles vaccination. It concluded, with advice to the Minister, that vaccination at the current price would not be a good use of resources. Since the health technology assessment was published, the vaccine developer has engaged - this is very important - in good faith with the National Immunisation Office to deliver a programme which represents true value for this State.”
“Of these, I would rate equitable access as the most important. By definition, a vaccine cannot work unless it is accessed. If it is a very expensive vaccine to access, that access will be confined to the wealthiest cohorts, which surely, for all us people who live in a republic, is the very antithesis of what constitutes our Republic in Article 41, which guarantees the equality of all citizens before the law. I will go back and reiterate where a shingles national immunisation programme is already funded. It is funded now in 15 national programmes across Europe: Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Israel, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Cyprus and Croatia. It is 65% funded in France, and we expect other countries to come on board in 2026, Finland being one of them.”
“Conversely, in this country and in many other democracies, a changing emphasis is becoming evident in health policies internationally that aims for good health for the duration of life. As never before, and concomitant with this, there are now over 200 vaccines in the development pipeline in Europe alone and 80% of those vaccines target illnesses affecting adults including cancer, neurological diseases and infections. So, as our population increases and ages, we pressingly need to find ways to decrease the demands on our health system and signally, vaccination is a key tool. Such an initiative has four levers for Ireland, namely, bolstering the actual trust in vaccinations; ensuring equitable access, which is the main thrust today; leveraging data and technology, and positioning Ireland for future innovation in our pharma industries.”
“In 2024, a report was commissioned by GSK Ireland from the Office of Health Economics. The report estimated that the full implementation of the current national immunisation advisory committee recommendations for older adult vaccination against influenza, pneumococcal disease, shingles and respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, would together generate a return of up to €23 in socioeconomic benefit for every €1 invested by the State. They would also prevent approximately 375,000 cases of disease, 74,000 hospitalisations and 1,400 deaths. Specifically for shingles, the return on investment was between 1.8 and fivefold for every euro invested. In our neighbouring democracy, there is under way a great debate within and outside Parliament about assisted dying.”
“Twenty years ago, a vaccine called Zostavax was introduced but it had very limited success in protecting older people, that is, those most prone to serious infections. Now we have here in Ireland and in the free world, much of the western world, Shingrix, a vaccine that has about 90% efficacy, even in older people. The manufacturers of Shingrix, GlaxoSmithKline, GSK, that is much prevalent in the Irish economy, like all pharmaceutical companies are about people, yes of course, and about profit. However, they are cognisant of the small market Ireland represents in the greater scheme of things. More on that anon. Vaccination is indisputably an ironclad investment in individuals, the health system, the economy and society in general. Every euro invested generates a significant return.”
“As for our oldest citizens, those 850,000 of them, most of whom are reliable voters with 85 Dáil quotas between them, the message to them is that yes, of course, a good vaccine is available but it will cost them €500 out of their weekly pension of €278. With its increased prevalence in our older aged cohort, shingles results in a significant rise in doctor consultations. As well as that, hospitalisations can and do occur often with herpes zoster ophthalmicus, which can leave the patient with deteriorated vision or, in extremis, blindness. This leads us to the key question. Taking all that is known about how pernicious this complaint is, why not consider vaccinating freely against it?”
“Active Retirement Ireland represents 850,000 of our people aged 65 years or over who very robustly signalled their support for our motion. Because of two close encounters in my own families, I got the Shingrix vaccine last August and it cost me, as the bookies would say, a full monkey, that is, €500. If I resided in Tandragee, County Armagh, instead of Tramore, County Waterford, it would have cost me nothing. It is totally free in the North of Ireland, it is free all over the NHS, in much of the EU, the USA, Australia and Canada. Sadly in Ireland, the Republic that is, we are an uncomfortable outlier.”
“I was working on this motion at home last week and the question struck me, and I struggled to find out, why is it called shingles? I was searching around and poking around. After a lot of this poking around I latterly found the answer in my late mother-in-law's copy of Harmsworth's Home Doctor and Encyclopedia of Good Health , published in 1924, which says that shingles comes from the Latin word cingulum , meaning a girdle or belt. I imagine this is testament to the frequency of the infection attacking right around the trunk, belt-like. However, not at all by digression, I want to record my gratitude to Active Retirement Ireland and give special thanks to their team, headed by Alison Bough, who is here with her team in the Gallery.”
“So, it does present frequently and very frequently in people as they get older. In itself, the infection symptoms can range from negligible to severe. In the latter cases it is described as a stabbing or burning sensation of continuous pain that can last for weeks or, indeed, months. However, it is in the aftermath that the real damage often presents in a well recognised condition, namely, post-herpetic neuralgia, PHN, which can last for a year or more and impacts the physical, psychological, functional and social dimensions of the affected person. Worrying also are recent studies which show raised protein levels in PHN sufferers' cerebral spinal fluids, which is frequently a pointer to increased risk of forms of dementia. Before I go on I will briefly digress.”
“We are sharing time. Senator Boyhan is not greedy. Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas le Active Retirement Ireland, go háirithe Alison Bough, agus mé ag eagrú an rúin seo don Seanad. Gabhaim buíochas leis na Comhaltaí a chuir a gcomhshínithe síos chun tacú leis an rún atá faoinár mbráid inniu. The full wording of the motion is substantial so I am presuming that all will be familiar with it or with the substance of it at least. For that reason I am going to move ahead with the actual debate points. All the Senators present will be very knowledgeable about shingles, medically known as herpes zoster. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox can develop shingles and that is estimated at roughly 60,000 people annually.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges that: - shingles affects one in three people in their lifetime; - adults aged 50+, especially those with weakened immune systems, are much more likely to develop severe disease; - post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a complication causing severe nerve pain lasting months or years, can significantly undermine mobility, sleep, mental well-being, social participation and independent living; - the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) 2024 public consultation on the addition of the shingles vaccination to the adult vaccination programme included multiple testimonies from older adults living with life-limiting pain due to PHN; - the Shingrix vaccine substantially reduces the risk of shingles and PHN; however, in Ireland it costs €480-€500, making it inaccessible for many older people, particularly those living on the State pension; - older people with weakened immune systems, such as those receiving cancer treatment, are particularly predisposed to shingles and, as a result, can live out the remainder of their lives in extreme pain from PHN, as raised by a number of respondents to HIQA’s public consultation; notes that: - in February 2024, the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) recommended the shingles vaccination for all adults aged 65 and over; - in July 2024, HIQA concluded that extending the programme to adults aged 50+ would not be an efficient use of HSE resources; - as no publicly funded programme has been implemented, older people must pay privately; - many countries, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia, already provide shingles vaccinations free of charge to older adults; Ireland is becoming an outlier in the prevention of this avoidable illness; - while the NIAC has recommended vaccination for those aged 65+, HIQA’s Health Technology Assessment modelled a much broader cohort of adults aged 50+; - a targeted age-focused vaccination programme for adults aged 65 and over, the specific group NIAC identified, has not been formally assessed; - this creates a clear evidence gap as the Department of Health cannot state that the NIAC recommended 65+ programme is not cost effective when it has not been individually modelled; - the public consultation response also highlighted that the €480-€500 vaccine cost is prohibitive for many older people, especially those on fixed incomes; - the public consultation also highlighted PHN’s impact on mobility, social engagement, mental well-being, independence, and quality of life as significant and not fully captured in standard cost-effectiveness modelling; calls on the Government to: - urgently reconsider the determination that the shingles vaccination is not an efficient use of HSE resources; - include the shingles vaccination for adults aged 65 and over in the National Immunisation Programme, in line with NIAC recommendations and international best practice; and - requests that the Department of Health revisit the Health Technology Assessment with a specific 65+ model.”
“We are trying to make it easier for people and I do not think it should be a point-scoring business for the Government or us. Let us do the right thing for the hard-pressed buyers and sellers in the Irish market.”
“If there are any sad people around the country looking at this debate tonight who have had dealings with Pepper, please get in touch with me because I would love to compile a dossier. My solicitor said he had never seen a company the likes of it and I know this is universally and widely acclaimed. This is the sort of thing that can beset somebody in the buying and selling business. It is very difficult and very trying. I am a fairly cool individual and it did not really get to me but I know some people go cracked over these things. It brings a lot of domestic pressure. I am delighted Senator McCarthy has brought forward this motion, very doughtily supported by Senators Craughwell and Boyhan, and I wanted to weigh in. We are all on the one side.”
“To make a long story even longer, a few years back we decided to turn over the house. We went to the solicitor, who said he would look for the deeds from Pepper. When he went looking for the deeds from Pepper there were no deeds. Try as he might, he was told it did not have them and they were never sent to it. This started a long harangue between the solicitor and Pepper. There was no resolution. I had to go to an architect to get a new certificate of compliance, which cost me a lot of money, simply because Pepper had screwed up on maintaining the deeds of the house. Afterwards, when I tried to recoup some of my expenses for the architect and the legal people, it was like the shadow that comes about when there is an eclipse of the sun. I think it is called a penumbra. Boy, was there a penumbra trying to get money back from Pepper.”
“I express my support for Senator McCarthy's motion. Anything in this very troubled business of buying and selling property that streamlines it or makes the whole engagement more efficient and leaner is to be recommended. This is what we are talking about here. I do not see any direct contradiction between the amendment and the motion. They are both pushing at a door they want to open. This is illustrated by a personal experience I had. I came into possession of a property prior to the crash which was financed by a Bank of Scotland mortgage. Then, of course, the crash came and two years after the crash Bank of Scotland hightailed it out of the country in 2010. Eight years later, in 2018, when the jigs and reels were finished, a crowd called Pepper Asset Servicing DAC took over the mortgage.”
“The only way to hit the people causing the dereliction, the owners of these buildings, is to either deal with them through the planning process in a proactive way or else fine them. I compliment the Minister on taking the bull by the horns on this matter and I hope there will be lots more positive results in the time to come.”
“I know the derelict sites levy came into effect only a few years back but, as far as I can remember off the top of my head, it makes provision for levies of 7% to be collected. On the purported valuation of that hotel, it changed hands a couple of years back for €2 million, but even if it were €1 million, that is €70,000 per annum, notwithstanding interest on the outstanding amount, so we are talking about getting on for €250,000 in four years. This is replicated all over the country, and when local authorities fail to collect these levies, it is really a lost opportunity for them to enhance their own revenue. It also gives a signal that dereliction is acceptable. As we all know from our own towns and cities, dereliction is a scourge on communities.”
“Last week, I am sure many of us in the House were gratified when we saw the Minister for housing, James Browne, make a ruling that from now on the process that was going to be used for the collection of the derelict sites levy was being handed over to Revenue and taken away from the local authorities. This has come about as a result of the Minister's perception that the local authorities have been largely a failure in collecting derelict sites levies that have been outstanding on derelict properties. I commend the Minister and agree with him. In our own case, down in Waterford City and County Council, we have a derelict sites register but, if I might illustrate by way of an example, a hotel in Tramore has been derelict for about the past 12 years.”