John McGuinness
Carlow-Kilkenny · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“That concludes our business for this morning. I thank all the Members, the staff, the press and everyone involved in the House for their co-operation during the term. I want to acknowledge the fact that we had Cara Darmody in the Public Gallery this morning. I omitted to mention that. I wish her well in the campaign and in her efforts.”
“For the information of Members, the Poole family are in the Public Gallery. The Ceann Comhairle has already extended a welcome to the family, but I want to bring it to the attention of the Chamber, now that there are so many of us here, that they are here. They have achieved a lot. I acknowledge their presence.”
“Letting time pass to build up evidence for a case is having horrific impacts on women. I do not know when it began to escalate, but it is now the situation that the sexual, physical and financial abuse of women is out of control.”
“I join the Ceann Comhairle in extending the welcome to you. You have come through a harrowing journey to this day and you have exposed the State, as has been recorded by the Taoiseach, the Minister and others, in terms of the most awful failings, which have had terrible consequences on your lives and the lives of your families.”
“There are support services, but we need to fund them more extensively. The refuge centres serve a great purpose, but they need to connect more directly with local councils to ensure that whatever housing is needed is delivered.”
“I commend the Minister on bringing forward this stand-alone legislation. It is important that he continue his work reforming the various aspects of legislation that need to be examined and updated in the context of what society faces today.”
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“That concludes our business for this morning. I thank all the Members, the staff, the press and everyone involved in the House for their co-operation during the term. I want to acknowledge the fact that we had Cara Darmody in the Public Gallery this morning. I omitted to mention that. I wish her well in the campaign and in her efforts.”
“If the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, does not mind - would Members please allow the Minister of State to finish and stop cutting in on him so that we can do our business properly? I am going to conclude.”
“I am trying to get in as many questions as I can. I do not want to be setting a bad example by allowing people to go over their time slots. That is why I had to ring the bell. I thought the Minister was completely ignoring me.”
“I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the Social Housing Passport Bill 2026, taken on Thursday, 9 July 2026. On amendment No. 1, a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.”
“For the information of Members, the Poole family are in the Public Gallery. The Ceann Comhairle has already extended a welcome to the family, but I want to bring it to the attention of the Chamber, now that there are so many of us here, that they are here. They have achieved a lot. I acknowledge their presence. Thank you for your patience as you watch the debate.”
“I ask him to find some new way of providing a route for them to escape the clutches of their abusers. The sooner that we get to grips with all of this, provide all of the services, provide the power of arrest to the Garda and pass this legislation, the sooner we will be led to other steps that need to be taken. I urge the Minister to continue with reform and to continue to monitor the reforming legislation being brought forward so that changes can be made immediately and effectively.”
“Letting time pass to build up evidence for a case is having horrific impacts on women. I do not know when it began to escalate, but it is now the situation that the sexual, physical and financial abuse of women is out of control. I hope that this Bill, when implemented, will provide a register that at least might save some person, male or female, from such violence in the future. I commend the Poole family and Jason in particular. My colleague, Deputy McAuliffe, gave a very elegant outline of the efforts made by that family. I commend them for coming forward. I commend Jason for the work he has done. I will finish by again asking the Minister about funding. I ask him to consider what is available today and to compare it with the awful and traumatic circumstances that some people who are being abused have to face every day.”
“There are support services, but we need to fund them more extensively. The refuge centres serve a great purpose, but they need to connect more directly with local councils to ensure that whatever housing is needed is delivered. That would require more funding for local authorities, but if we are to address this issue, all of the negative impacts experienced by people being abused must be considered. I have come across families where the couple continues to live in the same house, the woman continues to be abused, and the Garda and local services are aware of it, but it is extremely difficult to get that person out of the house and into alternative accommodation. That is why I make the point about the funding. There are other cases of men stalking women being reported to the Garda.”
“I commend the Minister on bringing forward this stand-alone legislation. It is important that he continue his work reforming the various aspects of legislation that need to be examined and updated in the context of what society faces today. I have no doubt that this Bill will assist partners to know about the records of those who have committed serious domestic and sexual abuse and so on. It is timely because, in my work in the constituency, I come across too many cases of sexual and gender-based abuse, too many cases where women in particular are controlled by their partners in terms of their finances, social activities and how they conduct their lives generally. There seems to be very little they can do to prevent their partners continuing to make their lives miserable.”
“I join the Ceann Comhairle in extending the welcome to you. You have come through a harrowing journey to this day and you have exposed the State, as has been recorded by the Taoiseach, the Minister and others, in terms of the most awful failings, which have had terrible consequences on your lives and the lives of your families. If we are to take action on this, we should examine some of the submissions made to other investigations where this was spoken about by officials within the HSE. I hope that opportunity might be given to us at some stage in the future. We owe it to you and we owe it to your families, and to all others whom the State has failed, to continue our efforts to address the issues of the past and ensure they do not happen again. Actions are in our hands in this House. Thank you again.”
“The amendment is carried and, therefore, pursuant to Standing Order 194(3), it is reported to the Dáil that the Long Title has been amended. Amendments Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, 26, 27, 32, 36, 47 and 48 are related and may be discussed together. Is that agreed? Agreed.”
“We are now dealing with Report Stage. The recommital of amendment No. 1 and the other amendments I just read out has to be agreed as they do not arise from Committee proceedings. Once we agree that, which is a technicality, we can discuss the amendments in committee.”
“Before we started, I should have mentioned that recommittal is necessary in respect of this amendment and the other related amendments as they do not arise from committee proceedings. I ask the Minister to move recommittal and then we will ask that House to agree to that.”
“Seanad Éireann has passed the Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2025, changed from the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025, without amendment. Seanad Éireann has passed the National Treasury Management Agency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 without amendment.”
“I welcome the money that is going to be provided on top of what is already there. It is a substantial amount of money. However, if we put our minds to it, as a Government, then a lot more can be achieved, not just for the network but for society generally and for communities that need the type of interaction that a post office offers. We cannot ignore the drop in the number of post offices. We need to look at that, and we need to look at how society is developing. Footfall is all-important. If you lose your post office, you perhaps might lose your pub or your local shop. That is a detrimental step. I encourage the Minister to have a look at the overall workings of the post office and to fund it appropriately.”
“People like to have a safe, private place that they can trust, where they do not need to be IT-literate, and where they can come in and do their business in an open fashion. We need to recognise that. We also need to recognise that not everybody can use technology to speak to someone. Only this morning, I was talking to people in a company providing services. They did not have a clue where I was, and I did not have a clue where they were. There was no personal connection, no face-to-face meeting - there was nothing. I immediately thought of those people who are marginalised for one reason or another, who cannot engage with technology. The post office allows all of those people, in their own way, to interact with a person, get their problem solved and do it, as I said, with trust and in a place they are familiar with.”
“If we do not do that, then what we are doing today by giving more money to the post office network will just see that network slowly grind to a halt. It will be a slow death. This affects not just the customers. It affects the staff, the families and all those involved in post offices. It means there is no future that will be seen by them as keeping them employed. We have to give that future to them. We have to understand the trust that they have created over generations, in some cases, with local communities and local families. It is a trust that allows the public to go and make their payments through the post office, deal with their part-payments to cover bills for services every week, and feel comfortable in doing it. I would make the point that not everyone is IT-literate.”
“If we look at it in that way, we might agree on a structure and a worthwhile strategy or plan, so the investment will give a yield not just for the post office network but also give a yield for the Government of the day. I think of places like, for example, the post office on the High Street in Kilkenny city, which is a building that attracts quite a lot of business in its role in the post office network. However, it is also a building that should be invested in by a combination of the Government and the union contributing to a strategy that would see buildings like this enhanced and making a greater contribution to Kilkenny city, in this case, and then to look beyond that and see what investment can take place in all of the other villages and towns that either had a post office or still have one but could do with investment.”
“They can also share the news of the day, or share their views on what could or could not be done with the post office network itself. People have opinions on it, and they want their post office to stay in place. This investment will ensure a continuation for a further number of years. However, the time has come when the Government must sit down with the union and discuss just how it wants to see the post offices develop, particularly in rural Ireland. If we are making the investment, if we are giving the support, while we might look at it as a subsidy, we should also be looking at it as an investment in rural Ireland. I know urban centres, like Deputy Devlin's area, will have the same type of benefits.”
“For many years, I have listened carefully to the submissions made by Sean Martin. I have read each submission with great care because I believe in the post office network. I am a supporter of that network and of the postmasters and postmistresses and the work they do throughout the country. However, in those years, I have also witnessed the closure of many post offices throughout the country, particularly those in villages and towns that are suffering from a decline in population or a decline in local services. We cannot turn a blind eye to this. When people lose a post office, they lose a critical part of their social infrastructure, a service and a building where they can go and meet neighbours and friends as they transact what are small transactions, generally, in the post office.”
“I ask Members to remain in the Chamber. The time permitted for this debate having expired, I am required to put the following question in accordance with the Order of the Dáil of this day: "That Fourth Stage is hereby completed and the Bill is hereby passed."”
“Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 and 30 to 32, inclusive, are related. Amendment No. 4 is a physical alternative to amendment No. 3. Amendments Nos. 3 and 4 and 30 to 32, inclusive, will be discussed together.”
“I know there is investment taking place and that there are different activities, courses and so on but I am simply anxious, as the Minister will appreciate, to ensure that it continues to grow and expand.”
“I welcome the development in relation to the ETB and acknowledge the significant contribution it is making in terms of apprenticeships and so on. Regarding the veterinary college at Kildalton, those 40 vets will certainly make a difference. I also believe that Kildalton college can be developed at a rapid pace to bring the numbers up in terms of veterinary students, and it is an excellent site beyond the veterinary designation that it now has. I come back to the point that it was the goodwill of all concerned many years ago that brought about the establishment of SETU, and the different political players there were given certain commitments and that is why I am pressing the Minister.”
“I am trying to develop the idea and while I understand that the funding request must go from SETU to the Minister, I hope that by reminding the Minister of the commitment that was given, he might encourage discussions to advance what I suggested.”
“The reason that I raise it directly with the Minister this morning is that in those early negotiations, it was clearly stated that Kilkenny would have a significant role in the context of the south-east university, now SETU. I want to see that delivered on because Kilkenny was part of the agreement to establish the headquarters and so in Waterford and the other various activities under SETU. I want to see the commitment that was made to Kilkenny as part of that south-east university honoured. I suggest to the Minister that in honouring the commitment, SETU should be encouraged to discuss the possibility of a Norman study centre. Kilkenny is associated with animation, thanks to Cartoon Saloon and so on. There is also Kilkenny Design. I am sure there are many other activities and courses that could be arranged in Kilkenny.”
“During the early negotiations to establish a university in the south east, Kilkenny played a key role. I was associated with those negotiations, many years after which South East Technological University, SETU, was established. What steps are being taken to expand the courses offered in Kilkenny city relative to the university? Does the Minister consider a Norman museum as something appropriate that could be championed and provided?”
“By the way, in relation to the banks, we were short-changed in a big way by the European Central Bank during the crash. That was never really addressed. We had big issues in terms of Covid and we want to investigate that. That was not addressed. Surely one rule for one country within the European Union should be the same in every other member state. The EU provides grant aid for all sorts of projects in Ireland. Essentially, what is happening with that funding is every city, town and village is starting to look the same. They have the same big cycle tracks, the same narrow roads, the same lights and the same everything. We should tell the European Union that everyone is not the same; we are different, and that should be celebrated.”
“Julie Grace, Noel McGree and Lorraine Morris and so on were out there. I want to see the European Union take on the role of defending those who had to go out there to vindicate their rights and perhaps to tell Ireland it should start doing its business at home rather than what it has turned a blind eye to, ending up in Europe to be sorted out. There is a mishmash here of all sorts of things happening in Europe that happen in Ireland where we do not fulfil the rights of individuals. Dan Brennan is another one I can think of. I want to see the citizens of this State being placed in the centre of any policy that is being developed or any action that is being developed whereby the citizen can benefit - not big corporations, vulture funds, banks or anyone like that.”
“I want to allow them the opportunity to be able to educate themselves on that issue, on AI and on technology. Taiwan is the leading producer of semiconductors. In fact, it opened and invested in Germany. It built a factory out there. Why is it that Ireland could not be at the table fighting for that investment, the same as every other country? These are the issues that I see in terms of enterprise. Social justice and the rights of people are a big thing. There was a group of whistleblowers in the Gallery a few weeks ago on World Whistleblower Day, some of whom went to try to have their rights vindicated within the European Union. The European Union fines us for not doing stuff, yet when it does not do stuff like protecting the rights of those whistleblowers, everything goes silent.”
“They are trading and using that as an access point to China and Asia, yet we hide behind what is historically an outdated policy statement from China. We are not going to offend them. The other 16 countries that are out there do not offend them. Members of this House have travelled out there. Members of the Government have travelled out there when they were in opposition, but there are different standards now because they are in government. Yet, the European Union is leading the way in terms of the numbers that are out there. I want to see that changed. I want to see a student exchange, which the UK benefited from when it was in the European Union, between Taiwan and Ireland. I want Irish students who want to go out and see how the semiconductors are made to do so.”
“I am trying to highlight the imbalances that are there in Europe, some of the positions taken, the hypocrisy of them and, simply, the fact that maybe it is Ireland's fault that we do not stand up within our European Union and do what other countries do. For example, Taiwan has a population of 21 million people. It is a massive market. We have no place in that market, yet 16 individual European states have trade offices in Taiwan. Ireland does not have one. It did have one. It closed it down. It cost the State €50,000 a year, but we closed it down back in the downturn in the economy. It should be reopened. It is not interfering with our One China policy. It is doing what 17 entities from Europe and 16 member states are doing in Taiwan.”
“That barrier is bureaucracy and red tape. It is putting farms as we would know them, small farms that make up the bulk of the country's farming families, to the pin of their collar to make money and to make a profit. It is only that profit that is going to keep them there. They are saying that they will be given a grant, and then tying so much red tape around that grant that it is not worthwhile for them to get it, but still they want to farm. It is making it difficult for them to protect the environment, in which they acknowledge the role that they play in that protection, and making the grant system impossible for them again. That has to be simplified. We talk about enterprise then.”
“Why is it that the insurance industry within Europe is not open to the citizens of Ireland for them to benefit from cheaper premiums? Why is it that Sparkassen banks in Germany cannot be part of the banking system here? These are questions that need to be asked by the Government during the time of this Presidency. I listened to the Minister, who referred to simplifying rules, which is a good statement, but it is not what is happening in the European Union. The bureaucracy of the European Union has run away with itself and it has become more important than European states, and it has put the citizen in a second-class place. That has to be corrected and that is what I hope will happen during the Irish EU Presidency. The Minister referred to eliminating barriers. There are barriers to Irish farmers farming.”
“Like other speakers, I acknowledge the very positive role that was played within the European Union, the positive benefits to Ireland from that participation, and how we have successfully managed to develop as a country within that European Union, but when that Union started out, it was about more than trade. It was about the importance of the European citizen within that Union. An effort was to be made to ensure that the citizens of Europe would be better off as part of that membership. That, in my mind, has faded away to an extent. For example, why is it that within the European Union, you can get a very cheap mortgage, but you cannot get it here? It is a simple question but it is fundamental to the rights of Irish citizens to be able to get what citizens in other parts of Europe can get, which is a cheap mortgage.”
“On a 13th century site in Graiguenamanagh, County Kilkenny, stands one of the last remaining textile mills, run by a family since 1778, the Cushendale Woollen Mills. It was successful in the procurement process to provide a corporate gift of a scarf for those who will participate in the EU Presidency. I mention this because it is of significance to how a family-owned Irish company can benefit from a procurement process that will now bring its product to the attention of countries within the European Union. It is proud of the fact that it goes from fleece to fabric. It is a wonderful family and I am delighted to have the opportunity to mention it in this House. I wish it well in the markets it will engage with through trade within the European Union and beyond.”
“The time permitted for this debate having expired, I am required to put the following question in accordance with an order of the Dáil of this day: "That in respect of each of the sections undisposed of, the section is hereby agreed to in Committee, the Title is hereby agreed to in Committee, the Bill is accordingly reported to the House without amendment, Fourth Stage is hereby completed and the Bill is hereby passed."”
“I thank the Tánaiste for that. I wish to welcome a group of students from Trinity going into their third year, who are accompanied by a very special member of Senator Sharon Keogan's family. I wish them well in their day here in Leinster House.”
“I hope when the Minister reviews that document he will review the public demand in Kilkenny for the status of a city. I hope he will also have an input in the decisions and reflect on what I have said.”
“I wonder who the task force asked. I am aware it asked elected representatives, possibly, for their input and view but what about the people who are demanding it - the citizens we say we represent here? They are demanding something very different, not just accountability and transparency, which much be improved. They are asking for direct access to local democracy where decisions are made that affect their lives. They are asking for direct input through their public representatives about budgets that are passed, which also affect their lives. They are asking that history be examined and that the place for the likes of Kilkenny city would be acknowledged and that the role it plays in the lives of the citizens of that city would be acknowledged.”
“If the Minister asks anyone in Kilkenny city or, I am sure, in his town of Wexford, he will be told the best structure of democracy they had - in Kilkenny's case since 1609 - was the corporation or the borough council. The stripping of that title is depriving people of a pride they had in that office, the office of mayor and the office of those who were elected to serve the citizens of, in this case, Kilkenny. I am asking the Minister to go back to the drawing board and to understand that a seven-person borough committee as part of Kilkenny County Council replacing the borough simply does not function and removes a huge positive connection between a city and its administration and the people they represent. It is not good enough that that would not be revisited and re-established.”
“I raise Kilkenny city and the status it has had since the 1609 charter, granted by King James, which established it as a city with a mayor. It survived Cromwell but it did not survive the recent local government legislation that reduced it from a city to a borough. That particular move has not worked fully for the citizens of Kilkenny city.”
“Before I call on our next speaker, I welcome all of those in the Public Gallery. I hope they are enjoying the debate and finding it informative. They are very welcome to Leinster House. I particularly welcome Peter and Briege Rust from Dundalk, who are here with Deputy McGreehan, and Deputy Cormac Devlin's friends and neighbours.”
“Before I go to the next speaker, I welcome the ladies from Ballybofey and Stranorlar to the Public Gallery. They are here with Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher. I hope they enjoy their day in the Dáil with him. I also extend a very warm welcome to all of those in the Public Gallery who are here specifically for this debate. They are very welcome. We will now move to our next speaker, Deputy Graves.”
“The Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has completed its detailed scrutiny of the Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill 2025 and, in accordance with Standing Order 185, has recommended that, for the reasons outlined in its report, the Bill should proceed to Committee Stage.”
“Will the Taoiseach intervene in those two cases and ensure the rights of those two farming families are acknowledged and vindicated?”
“Two cases in my constituency concerning farming families have been dealt with in the course of the business of this House and the committees. Dan Brennan is one of them. It was agreed that an expert, Dr. Seán Brady, would be appointed to provide the Department with a report. Dan Brennan is an excellent farmer. He has been waiting for the outcome of this since 1990. I have been told, through a response to a parliamentary question, that the Department cannot say when it will be concluded. The second case relates to a family and serious health concerns affecting horses. Again, the Department of Health has been on site. However, a report that was issued in 2016 dropped off significant recommendations and findings that did not come to light until 2024. The Minister will not meet this family who have written to the Taoiseach about the matter.”
“Before we take questions on policy or legislation, on behalf of the Government Whip, the Minister of State, Mary Butler, I welcome the Dolmen active retirement group from Waterford to the Public Gallery. I hope you all enjoy your day in Leinster House. You are very welcome.”
“There are a lot of cooks in the kitchen in the context of all of this. Sometimes, too many of them can spoil the dish. I ask that there be some communication between all of those involved, namely Kilkenny County Council, the transport infrastructure people and those responsible for funding in order that the mess they have made of the Black Quarry roundabout might be addressed and to prevent traffic from backing up right along the ring road. There is still a problem with safety that should be addressed. I accept what the Minister of State said about the northern part of that ring road. I will work with Kilkenny County Council to ensure that we move quickly through the process. I again ask for the support of the Department as we do that.”
“Just to be clear, there are two issues I am trying to address here. One is the completion of the next phase of the northern part of the ring road around Kilkenny. I ask the Department to liaise with Kilkenny County Council to proactively move that process and consideration forward so that we can get to the point of approval quickly. The completion of that section has been delayed for some time. I see no reason why we cannot look at the final phase of the project in order to ensure that there will be no time lost in completing the full northern extension of that ring road. The second point relates to the fact that TFI looked at the existing ring road and instructed the council to implement safety measures, which it has failed to do. I am asking if TFI will examine the matter again and come up with a more efficient plan.”