Joe O'Reilly
Labour Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“As the Minister said, the Commission is coming up with proposals, and this exercise by us, and please God we will finish it before the summer, will make a difference in leading the European effort. We are winning support for suspension of trade.”
“At the outset, I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for her leadership in this area and commitment in her opening remarks to go on pushing at European level to get a consensus on real action on the trade agreement and individual sanctions.”
“We recognise the State of Palestine. We have been consistent in our public criticism of the genocide in Gaza, we took a strong position at the UN, we were a co-sponsor of the ICJ, and latterly, we have given leadership at EU level.”
“To turn to the issue of today, the illegal settlements, in international law they are clearly illegal and are expanding. They cause access to land resources for Palestinians to be restricted, there is settler violence, and Palestinian families continue to face displacement and growing insecurity.”
“It will enhance our moral authority in Europe and give leadership to other European countries. It is, at its most fundamental level, coupled with our previous action on recognising Palestine, joining the ICJ case and strong public statements, another act of solidarity with the victims of these illegal settlements.”
“If the opposite were merited, we would be saying it equally loudly. The Minister of State made a point that was echoed by my colleagues, Senators Boyhan and Casey, about the importance of the necessary transition from fossil fuels. I would like to hear the Minister of State respond at the end of the debate.”
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“It will enhance our moral authority in Europe and give leadership to other European countries. It is, at its most fundamental level, coupled with our previous action on recognising Palestine, joining the ICJ case and strong public statements, another act of solidarity with the victims of these illegal settlements.”
“As the Minister said, the Commission is coming up with proposals, and this exercise by us, and please God we will finish it before the summer, will make a difference in leading the European effort. We are winning support for suspension of trade. The number of countries which have come on side over recent months is, of course, because of the atrocities but also because of the Irish position. The difficulty presented here with services is their transnational nature, the intangible nature of the digital element, the cross-border element, and the Attorney General's advice that we cannot, as an individual State, take a unique position. That is the Government’s position on this. That is what presents the difficulty with the services. The passing of the Bill in itself will be a leadership position for the Oireachtas to take.”
“To turn to the issue of today, the illegal settlements, in international law they are clearly illegal and are expanding. They cause access to land resources for Palestinians to be restricted, there is settler violence, and Palestinian families continue to face displacement and growing insecurity. The nature of the settlements and their topography, or whatever the word is - their dispersed nature - is threatening the potential for a two-state solution. This Bill matters at its most basic level in that it sends a clear message that goods produced in the illegal settlements will not benefit from trade with Ireland, similar to apartheid South Africa in the past. More importantly, it shows leadership in Europe.”
“We recognise the State of Palestine. We have been consistent in our public criticism of the genocide in Gaza, we took a strong position at the UN, we were a co-sponsor of the ICJ, and latterly, we have given leadership at EU level. In the midst of our reasonable democratic discussion on, and disagreements about, this legislation, let us maintain that unity and pride in that leadership position as a country. Today is about the occupied territories, but let me make a passing reference to the horror that is Gaza. It is a Second Stage speech. In excess of 73,000 people have been killed, while there have also been horrific injuries, malnutrition, starvation, displacement from homes and, effectively, no or very threatened schooling of children.”
“At the outset, I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for her leadership in this area and commitment in her opening remarks to go on pushing at European level to get a consensus on real action on the trade agreement and individual sanctions. As someone who has had a consistent and special interest in this question over years, I applaud Senator Frances Black for her role and pioneering work in this area. That goes without saying. I come at this myself as a special rapporteur for Palestinian women and children for the Council of Europe, so I have more than a passing interest. An important point that should be made is that we will differ about the content and elements of the Bill, but we should maintain a collective pride as a country in our strong stance as a nation on the Palestinian question.”
“I recognise the achievement of NAMA and I hope we are embarking on a completely new chapter now, particularly for our young people who aspire to a bright future. There are also many young people abroad whom we want to attract back to our country.”
“I hope that any remaining land and development opportunities continue to be managed with the wider public interest in mind, particularly where they can contribute housing delivery, as I have just said. Overall I believe the Bill provides a sensible framework for bringing the work of NAMA to a close while ensuring continuity through the NTMA. At the same time, we should recognise that the end of one chapter also presents an opportunity to focus on the challenges that remain. As I have said, my sole concern is with regard to affordable and social housing being developed insofar as we can do so. This focus needs to continue through the NTMA. I welcome the Bill and it is good that we are at this point.”
“I know a lot of the loans and bad debt have been dealt with but a residual amount of money is going over and I would like to know whether it can be targeted. Housing remains an important issue. While NAMA's purpose was financial stability rather than housing policy, many of the assets involved development land and development sites. Ireland today continues to face an acute housing shortage and young people are very concerned. As someone representing Cavan I see this in all of our towns and villages. We have too many people commuting because they come down the country to get affordable housing and then commute back to Dublin. This is very challenging in terms of quality of life. I welcome the transfer of NAMA's remaining responsibilities to the NTMA.”
“NAMA manages assets of enormous value on behalf of the State and as its functions are transferred to the NTMA, we must ensure there is complete transparency, proper accountability and continued protection of the public interest. Confidence in our public institutions depends not only on achieving results but also on maintaining public trust throughout. Housing is a very important issue and the Minister of State cited the achievements of NAMA in this context. I ask the Minister of State specifically whether the remaining assets and loans that will go to the National Treasury Management Agency could be targeted, whereby acquired moneys could go to affordable housing and social housing and could be targeted in this area. This is something the public would reasonably want to see happen and I am interested in this.”
“It had a clear objective to stabilise the banking system, recover value for the taxpayer and help to restore confidence in the Irish economy following the financial crisis. I recognise the achievement in this context of €5.6 billion for the taxpayer and I agree with the Minister of State's summation of the success of NAMA as an institution. The return to the taxpayer is significant. More than 15 years later, we are now in a position where the Government believes NAMA has fulfilled its purpose and its remaining function can be transferred to the National Treasury Management Agency. This is a positive reflection on how far Ireland has come since the exceptionally challenging years. However, it is also right that Members in the House ask questions about how the transition will take place.”
“I join in Senator Casey's recognition of the patriotism of the former Minister, Brian Lenihan, God rest him, who died so young. It was so sad that he passed away as such a young man. Undoubtedly, the stresses he operated under could not have been a help to him. His patriotism is unquestionable and I am very happy to associate myself with the remarks. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the National Treasury Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 and I am pleased to support the Bill on Second Stage. It represents an important milestone in Ireland's economic recovery. NAMA was established during one of the most difficult periods in our country's history.”
“It supports transport operators, helps to ease the burden on families and businesses and recognises the unique challenges facing rural Ireland, while maintaining our commitment to responsible public finances. A great example of this is the amendment being brought in next week, which will ensure there will not be a cliff edge at the end of the supports and that they will be continued to cushion people in a graduated way. The Bill will provide, and has provided, temporary reliefs from high energy costs. The support to the transport and haulage sector is important to the wider economy. All in all, the Bill is to be welcomed. We can be very proud of how we as a country were the best responders in western Europe to the crisis. That does not mean, however, that we should be complacent about the future; we are not.”
“At the same time, we remain committed to Ireland's climate objectives. However, climate action and affordability have to go together. The transition to a lower carbon economy will only succeed if it is practical, balanced and supported by the public. Measures such as these demonstrate that it is possible to provide targeted relief while continuing to move towards our long-term goals. The great thing about the carbon tax is that it is ring-fenced and the revenues are then used and targeted for retrofitting and to support energy initiatives and a lower dependence on fossil fuels. The strength and relevance of the carbon tax are that it is going where it should be going. Ultimately, this Bill is about responding to current challenges in a sensible way.”
“We extended the fuel allowance for a month, which was great, but there is a sector of people who are marginally above minimal income levels, etc., but are finding it very difficult to buy kerosene. That needs to be considered. People on specific payments, such as disability payments, etc., need to be looked after. I would like the Minister of State to speak to that issue in his response. Representing a county like Cavan, I know the sheer importance of rural transport and cars, lorries, tractors and all of that. We do not have a railway network in Cavan. Everyone will be familiar, sadly, with the song, "No Train To Cavan". There were trains to Cavan, but they were lost. We have to get them back, and hopefully we will. The movement to get a train line to Navan is very welcome in this context.”
“Our businesses rely on transport, haulage, etc., and on cars to remain competitive and in business. I welcome the measures in the Bill. The increase in the diesel rebate for qualifying road transport operators is a practical measure that recognises the important role the haulage sector plays in keeping our economy moving. We responded well and flexibly in that regard. As the Minister of State knows, margins in the haulage sector are tight. There is now potential for much more pressure so the haulage sector needed that response, as did agricultural contractors. There is an anomaly or lacuna. It would be relevant in the next budget to look at the price of kerosene.”
“From the CSO figures that the Minister of State quoted, this is being well monitored but we need to monitor whether price decreases are being passed on to ensure there is no price gouging or bad practice in passing on decreases or reductions in prices. The Minister of State might speak to that too and the steps being taken to ensure there is tight policing there because consumers deserve that. I welcome the opportunity to support and speak to the Bill. Fuel and energy costs continue to be one of the biggest concerns facing families, businesses and communities across Ireland. While prices have eased somewhat in recent months, they remain significantly higher than they were only a few years ago. That is particularly true for rural Ireland, where many people simply have no alternative but to travel by car. The car is important.”
“That, in parallel with a switch at a broader level to green energy, is wonderful and I welcome it. That is good. I know the Minister of State is here to listen and he is a proactive Minister of State. He is here to pick up the useful things we want to tell him. One of the things I am picking up is that the SEAI grants are excellent and the SEAI personnel are excellent. I had interactions with them recently and found them to be brilliant. All of that is good, but there can be an unnecessary delay between the time of application and the payment of the grant. Perhaps that is improving. The Minister of State might speak to that, or at least check it out at Department level. I would be interested in that, as I think we all would be. There is another issue that I am interested in.”
“If the opposite were merited, we would be saying it equally loudly. The Minister of State made a point that was echoed by my colleagues, Senators Boyhan and Casey, about the importance of the necessary transition from fossil fuels. I would like to hear the Minister of State respond at the end of the debate. We are doing a lot around wind energy, including offshore wind energy, and more needs to be done, but as a State and a Government, we seem to be shying away from wave energy, where there is huge potential. I know there are considerable capital outlays in that area. The Minister of State might respond on that point. The Minister of State spoke about retrofitting and the good news from the SEAI about the number of applications. That is good. It is significant to see the increase in the number of applications to retrofit houses.”
“I am happy that the previous speaker remembered to mention his nominating base in his speech. I was afraid he might forget. He did it extremely well, to be fair. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for his opening remarks. A number of the general things he said at the end of his contribution are extremely important. It is not unnecessarily or unreasonably partisan for a Government speaker to say that we can be very proud of the way the economy was managed over recent years to create budget surpluses to give us the flexibility to respond to the situation we are in. That is a great achievement. Were it not for the prudent management of the economy by successive Governments recently, we would not be in the position we are to be flexible and nimble. It is not an unreasonable thing to say.”
“It is a matter of how we build in sensible flexibility that would maintain our small schools. I am aware that this subject is close to the Minister of State's heart.”
“He was a very distinguished Irish National Teachers Organisation member and delegate. That emphasises how young Senator Cosgrove still is. To go back to the point, I acknowledge progress but we need more. What I am asking is that we have a commitment to, and practical implementation in the next budget in respect of, a further reduction in class sizes, with an emphasis on the training and recruitment of teachers to fill vacant posts, because there is a real lacuna in the number of available teachers. We should not have substitution all the time, using untrained personnel in many instances. Could we consider how we accommodate the small schools in rural Ireland and build in flexibility, while not going to ridiculous levels, obviously? Nobody is suggesting that.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge and appreciate both his presence and the very positive nature of his response. I also acknowledge the progress made. Let me make a little human aside. I spoke about my attendance at INTO congresses down the years. An excellent delegate attending those conferences with me on many a day was the dad of Senator Nessa Cosgrove, who will be speaking later.”
“Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, whether they attend school in Dublin city centre or a rural school in County Cavan. Reducing the teacher-pupil ratio should be a national priority. We have a responsibility to ensure that schools such as the ones I cited continue to provide the attention, support and quality education that every child deserves.”
“Every additional teacher means more support for pupils, particularly those with additional needs, and less pressure on already stretched staff. The challenge is particularly acute in rural Ireland to keep small schools open. Under current Department of education staffing arrangements, a small drop in enrolment can result in the loss of a teacher post. That is the kernel for these small schools that are the at the heart of their communities, like Corlea and Coronea, which have multigrade and combined classes. It is important that is sorted out. I ask the Minister of State to examine greater flexibility within the staffing allocation system for small rural schools, and to give serious consideration to an INTO proposal for 1,000 additional primary teachers in this budget. Fundamentally, flexibility would matter a lot there.”
“Having made that point, I acknowledge at this juncture that consistently over the past ten or 15 years, this and previous Governments have been reducing the pupil-teacher ratio. That is not a reason not to want to make further progress, but it is important to acknowledge that it has consistently been the case in the worst of times. These figures I have cited should concern all of us. They highlight the urgent need to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio in our classrooms. As a former teacher, I know that a smaller class size allows for more individual attention, earlier intervention when difficulties arise and better outcomes. The INTO has called for the recruitment for 1,000 additional primary teachers in budget 2027. At its core, this proposal is about reducing the teacher-pupil ratio.”
“I have been contacted by teachers and local communities that are deeply concerned about the future of schools, such as Corlea National School in the east of County Cavan and Coronea National School in a more central area of the county. These schools are classic examples that are much more than places of education. They are at the heart of their communities. The Irish National Teachers Organisation has highlighted the growing pressures facing primary education. According to figures confirmed by the Department of Education and Youth, 419,823 children, approximately 80% of all primary school pupils, are currently in classes above the EU average size of 16 pupils. In addition, 996 teaching posts remain unfilled while 7,864 substitute teaching positions are being covered by personnel who are not fully qualified teachers.”
“I welcome the Minister of State and acknowledge the good work he has been doing in the Department. I raise an issue of enormous importance to rural communities across County Cavan, which is the future of our small primary schools and the need for greater investment in teaching posts and reduced class sizes. As a former primary school teacher, INTO branch chair and a regular delegate to INTO congress, this is an issue close to my heart. I first entered Seanad Éireann in 1989 with an INTO nomination on the cultural and educational panel and because of that background I understand the challenges facing teachers, pupils and school communities today.”
“I ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill to review this situation, to examine it once again and to look at it on equitable grounds. I do not mean to diminish any other condition when I say that this condition is grievous and is among the very serious conditions. It presents equal challenges, if not even more challenges, to some illnesses already listed. I hope the Minister of State can convey that to the Minister so this can be reformed into the future. It is something we cannot avoid looking at.”
“While I appreciate the support that is available, Addison's disease a particular challenge because the medication involved is not simply therapeutic. It replaces hormones that are essential for life. The question before us is not how many people are affected; the question is whether people whose health depends entirely on lifelong hormone replacement therapy are receiving adequate support from the State. People living with Addison's disease do not have the option of stopping treatment. Their medication is required every day for life. Ensuring reliable access to that treatment protects patients, helps to prevent avoidable medical emergencies and reduces pressure on our hospitals.”
“The question is not how many people are affected; the question is whether people whose health depends entirely on life-long hormone replacement therapy are receiving appropriate supports from the State. My final contention is that there is an inherent injustice in not treating this illness comparatively and in an equitable way with other illnesses, some of which in fact do not have as grievous symptoms.”
“That is why I believe there is a strong case for reviewing the position of Addison's disease under the long-term Illness scheme. This is not about seeking special treatment; this is about recognising the reality of a lifelong condition that requires continuous medication and ongoing medical management. I therefore encourage the Minister and her Department, through the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to engage with clinicians, patient representatives and relevant stakeholders to examine the case, which I believe firmly exists and should not take long to establish. The current arrangements do not adequately reflect the needs. There is a compelling case to include it in the long-term illness scheme into the future.”
“Without medication, people can become seriously ill very quickly and may suffer an adrenaline crisis and a medical emergency, involving what I just listed, that can require urgent hospital treatment and can, in some cases, be fatal. The reality is that people with Addison's disease must carefully manage their condition every day. They must take medication consistently, carry emergency medical information and be prepared for situations where illness or injury can suddenly increase their need for treatment. We often speak about supporting people with long-term illnesses. We speak about preventative healthcare. We speak about ensuring that people receive the treatment they need before their condition becomes a crisis.”
“It is something they depend on every day of their lives. In fact, up to 90% of cases are caused by permanent autoimmune damage to the adrenal glands, meaning patients rely on lifelong hormone replacement therapy because their bodies can no longer produce hormones naturally. Nobody chooses to live with Addison's disease. It is quite the contrary. Nobody can take a break from it, and nobody living with it can simply stop treatment and carry on as normal. I will list the symptoms, which include severe abdominal, back or leg pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, confusion, loss of consciousness and dangerously low blood pressure. Treatments can include emergency hospital admission, intravenous steroids and fluids and ongoing monitoring.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for the warm welcome earlier for my wonderful colleague Camila. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. He is a very apt person to address this question as he comes from a distinguished medical family himself, in the present generation and in past generations. I wish to raise an issue concerning people living with Addison's disease. Could the Minister for Health consider whether this condition should be included under the long-term illness, LTI, scheme? It is my contention that it should. Addison's disease is a serious lifelong condition that affects the body's ability to produce essential hormones needed to regulate blood pressure, metabolism, energy levels and the body's response to illness and stress. For those living with the condition, medication is not optional.”
“It is an important interaction and I hope it will continue. I look forward to the MEPs responses and look forward to our meeting regularly over the coming few years - three years, we hope.”
“I have lived a long time but I did live a lot of my early teenage years before the EU and I know that the EU has been transformative for women and for livelihoods and that the Single Market has had an enormous impact on jobs. For that reason, jobs in AI are critical, but jobs in alternative energy and green energy are critical too. My question or my challenge to the MEPs, or my comment here, is that we need a greater visible lead for Europe in the creation of jobs in the green energy sector and in the creation of jobs in the AI sector. In other words, we need, as society changes, to change and roll with that. I notice that my time is going but I will just say that today is a great day's work. I am very proud of how all this, this interaction between our MEPs and the Seanad, has involved.”
“AI is a threat, so I would like the MEPs to comment in their responses on how we can get postgraduate education in artificial intelligence and master's degrees in artificial intelligence going, how we can maximise the opportunity of artificial intelligence and how we can create the jobs from it to replace the jobs it will undo. I think that would be of extraordinary interest to all of us to hear about. Mr. Mullooly earlier was autobiographical and I will be autobiographical too. I am not embarrassed to say that I lived in the Ireland before the EU. I have lived longer, I hasten to add, in the Ireland post the EU, lest there be any ambiguity.”
“I noticed that when the pension did exist some years ago in Ireland, it was an enormous success. I would be grateful if they would elaborate on the potential for that. How would that specifically come about? How could Europe be a focus there? Ms Carberry and others referred to the peace process funding. That is important. I would just like specifics on that. Do they think it is threatened? If it is, what can be done to stop that? We had a new phenomenon in recent times in Ireland, and that is job losses. We had not had that for a number of years. That is within Meta, obviously.”
“That makes the quality and the commitment of the people we have in the European Parliament paramount. That is why the MEPs' performances today are reassuring. Like Senator O'Loughlin, I start with the Common Agricultural Policy. We have 80,000 livestock, beef and sheep, farmers in this country on low incomes, and any threat to the CAP is a threat to their actual existence and their families' existence. I also take the point, well made by a number of the MEPs, about the need for retention and for succession opportunity. First, how realistic is it that they can hold the line on the CAP? It is good that we have two lead negotiators here, but how realistic is that? Second, could they be specific about a farm retirement scheme? I have always been a great advocate of that.”
“I join Senator O'Loughlin in welcoming our MEPs to the Chamber. I am particularly personally proud that when I was Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad I initiated this process and chaired initial meetings with the MEPs here, working alongside our Cathaoirleach at that time. It was a great initiative and it is clearly bearing fruit and today is another example of that. I want to say very unpatronisingly and genuinely that we are extremely well served by all five of them representing our region. They are doing that with a high level of competence and commitment and we can be very proud of that. That is so important to us. I do not know how these things are measured but according to all stated metrics, about 70% of the decisions that impact our lives daily here in Ireland have their genesis or origin in Europe.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State’s last remarks. I am a natural optimist and believe in a half-full glass rather than one that is half empty so I will interpret some of the coded language as suggesting that something may be done about this. In case I am wrongly interpreting it, it would be shocking if it is not. I want to make that clear. I have no ambiguity about this. It is our duty as public representatives to say what should be said. The truth is that anyone still genuinely suffering long Covid should not be stopped on 1 June from receiving full sick pay as was. I accept good supports were there but the supports for that relatively small number of people, all of them great professionals and all sending out signals to others, should continue and there should be no change in their position until they recover.”
“Providing sick pay will allow a focus on recovery and can affect retention of healthcare workers and morale. Sick pay for healthcare workers is essential to maintaining a healthy workforce, ensuring public safety and the overall well-being of those who have been affected. Sick pay for victims of long Covid will provide financial security. The expectation of it will give job satisfaction for all because with the hantavirus recently, we do not know what is coming in the future and it is important that nurses and all healthcare workers feel they will be protected. It will affect morale. It will help to attract talent, which is an issue at the moment. There is a compelling case here. It is not a big bill. It is a moral issue. It is a responsibility of the State to deal with the issue.”
“Without this recognition, their symptoms can be wrongly labelled and they can be considered malingerers, if people remember that term from our childhood, when, in fact, it is an unjustified tag. Recognition of their condition will result in the establishment of appropriate safety management systems for further assistance. If it could be recognised as an occupational injury, which it is, as is the case in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea and Taiwan, and we would like to think we are up there with those countries, then they could get the benefits therefrom. Those countries apply the presumption of occupational exposure leading to the injury for high-risk occupations, unless, of course, it is proven to be a bogus claim, or whatever.”
“More than 120, and up to 150, INMO members and social care workers remain affected with long Covid. I thank Ms Karen Eccles, who is the health and safety officer of the INMO, for supporting me with some data here. That many workers remain affected with long Covid. They want to but are unable to go back to work. Moving them to sick leave, which is proposed to happen on 1 June, will affect their mortgages, the education of their children and all the normal bills and expectations they have. It is a small number of people who are still affected at this point. A number of people with long Covid have recovered and gone back. The numbers now are quite low so the potential bill is not a big one. Those people have financial needs. They need medical support.”
“To turn to the specific issue, long-term Covid manifests itself through fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, persistent cough, chest pains, muscle and joint pains, loss of taste and smell, and cardiac conditions. It is not contingent on the gravity of the Covid in the first instance. In other words, somebody could have had mild Covid and still have long Covid. Healthcare workers were at high risk during the pandemic. Studies show that close contact, inadequate protective equipment, particularly early on, and an inability to distance, because it was not possible to distance in their work situation, increased the risk. Indeed, the figures are startling. Some 10,000 healthcare personnel and social care workers contracted Covid at some point. Twenty-three healthcare workers lost their lives.”
“I welcome to the House my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. He is speaking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. He will convey my sentiments to her, which I also propose to do in other forums. It is never inappropriate to thank the healthcare workers of this country for their valiant, courageous and selfless service during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is never inappropriate and should be done on any occasion. Phil Ní Sheaghdha, the general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, put it very well on the excellent "Prime Time" programme on 28 April when she said that we applauded the healthcare workers at the time of Covid and we should support into the future those who are unfortunate long-term victims.”
“Every garda is a community police person. That is the strength of the Garda. At the same time, designated community police people are very important for communities. They build bridges and relationships. I would like the Minister of State to let us know where we are with the following topic. Tragically, we need a very strong drugs unit at this time in the country. We need a number of young undercover gardaí to deal with substance abuse and the drugs that are all too prevalent in the smallest and most isolated villages around our country. We need to put numbers and resources in there.”
“That is good and they are well fit to do it and bring to the job great experience. However, when they are pensioned there is no reflection of those years. There is no extra recognition that they gave the State extra service. There is no extra recognition of the experience they brought to the force. I would like the Minister of State to address that point in his response. I think we should be doing something on that issue. The move to administration being dealt with by non-gardaí has been important. I would like the Minister of State to share the degree to which we have achieved that so we can get our gardaí into non-administrative roles and have the administrative roles taken by laypeople. We have advanced a good deal in that regard and I would like the Minister of State to elaborate and tell us if there are lacunas.”
“If we pay them well, people will want to join, which will deal with the numbers issue. I personally believe An Garda Síochána should have a presence. Members are well served by the AGSI, the GRA and the Association of Garda Superintendents. I would like to see the Garda having a presence in collective bargaining. Its members' voices should be heard there, along with every union. I would like the Minister of State to respond to that point. That does not preclude restrictions on arbitrary collective strikes but they should have a presence at the pay negotiations. There is also an issue with pensions for our gardaí. It relates to gardaí who have already served a full term. Thankfully, they are now allowed to serve a longer term, which is a welcome development. They normally go on serving for another ten years, give or take.”
“One of the greatest successes of our independent Irish State has been An Garda Síochána, an unarmed force that has won the respect of the communities it serves and that polices by moral authority. However, that is not to suggest that we do not have to take cognisance of recent developments in this country, such as recent riots, and to protect and support our gardaí in very difficult situations. That is why body cameras are to be welcomed and the point regard driving licences is very pertinent. I would like the Minister of State to address that. We have to look at every way in which we can protect members of An Garda Síochána and support them with armed support units and so on in riot situations. Pay has been mentioned. The pay needs to reflect the value we put on our gardaí.”