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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“The HSE and the Department are in the business of health and children long enough to know where they can get that care without squandering a fortune on a private hotel bedroom and without putting pressure on the parents to do a roster over the 24 hours to visit and look after that child. What in the name of God have we come to in Ireland that this would happen, given the billions of euro currently being pushed into the health services? I look at the delivery of health for older people and what I see in our public hospitals is people who are going in for one health issue or another, experiencing lack of care, falling in the hospital ward and ending up being in even more difficulty coming out of the hospital than they were going in.”
“I find that shocking. If you have a customer in business and something goes wrong, own up to it. Take ownership of it and deal with it without having to spend a fortune going to the courts. In that game, it is only the legal profession and others who will win. The State Claims Agency and the HSE need to look at best practice. They are wrong in what they are doing. The individuals who go to court are not wrong because, obviously, they have a case and they went to court. The HSE or the Department of children is now standing over the payment of a hotel room, going back over the past 12 weeks or more, for a child who is kept there because it cannot get a proper, bespoke place for that child.”
“We are looking at millions of euro being paid out because of negligence of one kind or another in the hospital system. There is no business that could tolerate the payments being asked by the courts except for government because it can reach into the taxpayer's pocket and provide the payment the courts decide on. We should be looking beyond that and wondering why these things happen. What are the failings in our own systems - in the systems of public administration - that have caused the person to go to court? I have a lady in Kilkenny whose father was cared for in hospital and who later died. The HSE has recognised the lapses of care in that hospital, yet it still continues to fight with the family in respect of a promise of apology. The HSE acknowledged its wrongs and said it would apologise but that has not been a fulsome apology.”
“We are not criticising - or I am not - the staff who administer that system or, indeed, those at the coal face of the delivery of health services because they are pushed from pillar to post to deliver that service in a working environment that is not necessarily supportive of the task they are being asked to complete. One of the issues this and previous Governments have had to deal with is the lack of value for money in our healthcare system and the amount of money going into healthcare that is being wasted. That is something we need to get a handle on because that figure is increasing every year. We just have to look at the 100 years of the PAC, which is being celebrated today, to see the amount of inquiries relative to healthcare is increasing by the year. The amount of moneys the courts are settling cases for is increasing every year.”
“I believe that is an issue that needs to be addressed because any type of increase in the cost of the care of a person in a hospital that does not fully reflect the type or extent of care they receive will simply increase further the cost of premiums to cover the profitability, if you like, of the private health insurers offering that cover. It is significant money that people are paying. There is also a significant number of people who believe they have to pay that money. That should cause us to reflect on the system we have. Many speakers before me have highlighted the failures of the system itself.”
“While this Bill comes every year and so on, it relates to the implementation of the scheme already there and the costs involved and reflects the current cost of insurance. However, I want to raise the issue of the cost of private healthcare and ask the Minister of State to reflect on the increases that have taken place over the years in that cost. We need to ensure that the private health insurers are diligent in how they pay out and investigate the payments being sought. We need to ensure they are paying hospitals on time for what was done, not for any extras that may have been inadvertently put into the invoice.”
“The Select Committee on Defence and National Security has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2025: Vote 36 - Defence. The Select Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs has completed its consideration of the following Further Revised Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2025: Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications.”
“Nobody seems to attempt to grapple with the reality of the cost of putting a truck on the road or of replacing it with one with a greener type of engine. We do not even look at the standard of diesel in Ireland. We are useless at it. I ask that the Minister of State take note of Government initiatives that could be taken to reduce the direct costs on the sector, which are then passed on to the consumer.”
“Then, when a crisis is reached and drivers are wanted, it is nearly impossible to get them into the State. I have been asking for a greater effort to be made to train HGV drivers and to encourage people to come into the area and work in the sector. That does not happen, however. As I have said, you cannot get the visas. It is the same with mechanics. It is all associated with road haulage and the business of logistics. You cannot get them. When you apply to bring someone in, whether a qualified mechanic or a specialist in the area, you are left waiting forever. The Government has not streamlined its systems. It has not reached out to this sector, which carries a huge burden of cost put on it by the State. Every time we do anything in here, it increases the level of red tape and bureaucracy.”
“In their decisions, every government has undermined the possibility of delivering a real cost-effective solution to the logistical issues that companies and individuals face in their daily lives. As long as we continue to do that without consideration of the impact of taxes and regulation, we are going to continue to add costs for everybody who uses a courier or a haulage operator. The costs will just continue to rise. I look at the briefing documents we received and I read the Irish Road Haulage Association position and the position of the European Union. None of it seems to take into consideration the fact that people put huge effort into the SME sector and into haulage and logistics and get very little profit out of it. There is no encouragement there.”
“I do not know how many taxes there are on diesel but I can say that it is now cheaper to buy diesel in the UK than here. We are strangling the development of that particular SME sector by increasing the cost of fuel, including diesel, every year. Extra holidays will be legislated for. That is another cost to carry. There are also warehouse rents, planning permission, general regulation to keep within the law, road tolls and so on. Surcharges on direct ferries represent another charge. Access to drivers is a huge issue. In all of the time this has been debated and in all of the time reform has been asked for, it has never been delivered in a real and meaningful way.”
“There is no other sector that can point so accurately to the Government in terms of taxes and obstacles placed in the way of its development than road haulage couriers and the logistics business generally. Let us look at what they are facing. Every year, they make their submissions. Generally speaking, they ask for improvements to the sector, for the load of regulation to be lightened and for red tape and costs to be cut. No government has really reached out to fulfil these requests. Naturally enough, the costs haulage and logistics companies face are passed directly on to the other SMEs that use these businesses or directly on to households that order from Amazon or some other company. We passed the pension plan. I have no issue with that but it adds a cost. The increase to the minimum wage adds a cost.”
“Given the long discussions we have had in this House about SMEs, businesses and so forth, it is appropriate that we acknowledge Freda Hayes from Blarney Woollen Mills, which is celebrating 50 years in business, who is in the Public Gallery. It is quite a success story. She is here as a guest of Deputy Ken O'Flynn.”
“I must now deal with a deferred division relating to the ministerial amendment to the Second Reading motion on the Bill. Last Thursday, on the question, "That the amendment be made", a division was claimed and that division will be taken now.”
“Before I explain the division, the parents of Deputy Keira Keogh, Vinny and Mary, are in the Gallery and she has asked each and every one of you to behave yourselves in order to impress them. I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion on the Arts (Recognition of Comedy) (Amendment) Bill 2024. On Thursday, 6 November 2025, on the question, "That the amendment to the amendment be made", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.”
“When his mother went about getting the information from 2009 and the various other dates from then to now, she was made to ask for that information through all kinds of avenues. She got little or no help. No one reached out to her. No one understood or wanted to understand what she was trying to achieve. Now, this young man has carried the problems of his childhood through his teenage years to his life as a young man. How is that right? There is nothing the Minister can say to these parents this evening that will satisfy them in the context of dates and times and the reduction of the waiting list. However, I encourage her to read her emails. These emails have been sent to her by the parents. I urge her to respond, engage and prevent further pain for the families.”
“This causes a fundamental and urgent question. What is the pathway for access to Blackrock Clinic, Morgan Stanley and Great Ormond Street Hospital? Who decides which children will be selected? It feels like my lovely son was simply overlooked, forgotten and that is something no parent should have to live with. I can point to a second case, again in Kilkenny, in which the operation was carried out in 2004, which Deputies might say was a long time ago. Conor was seen in 2004 when he was four. Then in 2009 he had surgery. In 2013, he was seen again. Surgery was promised in 2014. Now he is starting to fall out of the system and he has still not got the surgery required for the problems he is now experiencing. I want the Minister to take note of this.”
“When we attended the clinic on 3 April, we were told plainly that there is no date and there is no timeframe for surgery. That is not waitlist management. That is abandonment. I agree absolutely with Claire. I have mentioned Claire, but there are many mothers like Claire and many sons like Darragh fighting to have their cases heard and to have the surgery that would make life very different for them. Claire continues: I also know that not one child under the care of the Temple Street service has accessed surgery at the Blackrock Clinic via CHI in the past years. That is a deeply troubling fact. It means that a large cohort of children, entirely based on the CHI site they attend, have had no access to major outsourcing initiatives. This is not equity. This is not national planning. This is exclusion.”
“As a result of the delay to surgery, Darragh's spinal condition has progressed. He now has a worsening lower curve while the upper portion of his spine has become auto-fused. At his most recent appointment, I was informed that the section of the spine can no longer be surgically addressed due to its complexity. I find it harrowing that a mother would have to look at her child going through this and then for that child not to be able to have the surgery that is required. Claire goes on: To make matters worse, I have learned that visiting spinal surgeons from Morgan Stanley were in CHI, not only on 31 March and 1 April 2025, but also in December 2024. These were at least two clear opportunities to put Darragh forward for potential care on an international pathway and both were missed instead.”
“I cannot express my position any better than Claire did when she wrote to me about her son, Darragh: At Darragh's outpatient appointment in November 2024, I asked directly whether he could be considered for surgery in New York, London or the Blackrock Clinic. I was told emphatically "No". In the months that followed, Darragh underwent all required pre-op assessments, which were completed and signed off in early 2025 confirming he was ready for surgery and despite that, no date was set for that surgery and no further information was provided. His clinical plan was for surgery to take place before Easter 2025. That was considered the timeframe for the best possible outcome. That is why it mattered. This is a child that has already been brought through so much. He deserved the chance at a best outcome, but that chance has now been lost.”
“This scandal has gone on for years under the noses of the Department of Health and all those involved in what should have been the management of a serious issue. Nothing was really done during those years to encourage parents to engage with consultants and hospitals to ensure there would be early intervention for them. We have seen failure after failure and nobody is held to account. In that time, we have seen significant money being allocated to the Department of Health and all to no effect. We are now talking about more action and more people being involved in the management. This is a failure of the Department of Health and those who work in administration of the hospitals and so forth, and a failure to look after young people who deserve a hell of a lot better.”
“The Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for public services for the service of the year ending 31 December 2025: Votes 20 to 22, inclusive, and 24.”
“On behalf of Deputy Heneghan, I welcome Gavin, Myles, Joan and David Flood to the Public Gallery. They are all very welcome. I hope they enjoy the debate and their time here in the Leinster House. I call on Deputy Rory Hearne.”
“A number of Deputies whose questions we passed over were at committee meetings but they have just joined us. I will come back to Deputy Ó Murchú's question. If the Deputy could be brief, we will try to get other Deputies in as well.”
“When Irish people and people who are living here and not Irish see, believe or are led to believe that others get far better treatment than them, that causes huge division in the country. The work of social media has contributed in no small way to all of that misinformation and all of that wrong and it needs to be corrected by the Department. The Minister has the resources. He knows what needs to be done. I have listened careful to what the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, had to say and I encourage him to bring about the action that is necessary.”
“When people come here on a visa and are working and they ask for their wife or family to come to join them where they are economically sound and can support them, I do not know why they have to wait for a year or two years for that to be processed. I do not understand it. I do not understand why applications to the Department of justice take so long in the context of reaching a decision where a person is either legal or is not legal and must leave the country. Until we get to that point where we have clear systems and we have a clear understanding with the electorate, the people whom we represent and the communities that we are trying to support, we will have ongoing serious problems.”
“They refused to respond to public representatives who were trying to assist the community to understand what was happening and to understand the policy and that is why I welcome the Minister's opening remarks in how he set out and explained the difference between temporary protection, international protection and those who are coming here to work and stay and contribute to our economy. That needs to be said more often and we need to take the appropriate actions to support that. As well as supporting our own local communities, the new arrivals to those communities need to be supported and we need to have a plan and a strategy for the future that will deliver results in quick time.”
“I will take up from where the Minister of State left off. Community is important. The engagement of community with any project ensures its success or failure. From the beginning of this process dealing with those that were coming to our country for protection or arriving here without their documentation or arriving here illegally, the Department did not respond in the way that it should. We have to acknowledge that. We have to say to communities that we were wrong in what we were attempting to do.”
“They are getting no respect or response from the big companies. I had an experience on the Hebron industrial estate with a commercial operator. It is impossible to get the answer so that a supply can be arranged and housing provided for those on waiting lists. There is so much to be done. I ask the Minister to please take note of what is being said by me and other speakers, and to act on it.”
“Accountability and reporting oversight are critical to this Bill and the money involved and I do not see enough in it to convince me there are conditions that must be met by the companies and that we are serious about value for money and oversight of taxpayers' money. I turn to the domestic and commercial cost to SMEs. Farmers who pay their bills, in particular dairy farmers, have come to me and said that, in the middle of milking, down goes the electricity. They have a power failure. When they report it to the energy company, they get absolutely zero traction to sort it out. Small businesses are closing because of the cost of electricity and nobody seems to be reaching out to stop companies charging them far too much for electricity. The number of domestic and commercial customers waiting to be connected is truly shocking.”
“I could not get through on the email and when I finally submitted a third-party authorisation, it was sent back to me because the man signed his name as "Ger" followed by his second name, when his name is "Gerard". They asked me to get the man to sign the full name, "Gerard". These are vulnerable customers who are appealing to big energy companies making huge profits to sort out a meter or help them to pay a bill, or they are asking why a single man in a house would generate electricity up to €3,000 of a bill. There is something wrong. They will not reach out to the customer, as any other company should and would, to help them resolve the issue and get paid.”
“We import electricity generated by nuclear plants while we hold the moral high ground and say, "Oh my God, I wouldn't have those in this country." We should stand up, take our responsibility seriously and bring about the change in policy that is necessary to deal with these issues. I draw the Minister of State's attention to the big energy companies and I will give an example. The energy companies are not treating their customers with respect. They are not showing any degree of compassion. People cannot get in touch with them unless they use the freephone line and queue forever. They could be cut off in the middle of their conversation. If they send an email of complaint, God knows what will happen to it. I followed up one of them today in my constituency office. The phone was cut off.”
“If you drive along the road from Kilkenny to Durrow, you will find that the local communities have windmills behind them, and there are plans for windmills in front of them too. No consideration is being given to their difficulties. In fact, I would say the system is stacked against them because the big companies involved have no problem paying for submissions. However, communities have to pay for the submissions that have been forced upon them. It is dividing local communities and causing mayhem between neighbours. I ask the Minister of State to look at the different options that are there. Why not look at the nuclear option? Small nuclear plants are being built all over France and Germany. They are not at all the way they used to be. They are an option.”
“They told us some distressing stories and yet there is no regulation. I asked the then Taoiseach if he would consider a moratorium on the applications that were there so that the regulations could be introduced and applied to any development taking place. I also asked that the huge windfarms, the new technologies and new sized blades and towers could at least be discussed in this House. That did not happen. Deputy Stanley has a Bill on this issue. I ask the Minister of State to take it and use it on Second Stage to bring about a debate on this issue so that we can come to some conclusions on what needs to be done and plan for the future. We also need to reach out and help the individuals and communities that we represent. It is not just Carlow, Kilkenny and Laois; it is right across the country.”
“There will be many families and community groups in my constituency that will listen to this debate and wonder how quickly this Bill has come before us here in the Dáil and note how well supported it has been across all parties and groups. They will then look at the regulations for windfarms. There was a debate here in 2013 and the then Minister was asked for regulations, to level the playing field and to ensure that the voices of communities and individuals were heard. To this day, we do not have the regulations that are necessary to protect local communities and to set out the criteria for the development of these large-scale windfarms. There are problems with these issues in Kilkenny, Carlow and into Laois. Families were here with us in the audiovisual room setting out their positions.”
“On behalf of Deputy Michael Cahill, I welcome the South Kerry Development Partnership to the Gallery. I hope they, like Deputy Cummins' group, will enjoy the day here in the Oireachtas and have a pleasant trip.”
“Before the Minister responds, I am sure he will want to welcome all the students in the Public Gallery. It is good to have them all here and listening to our debate as Gaeilge. They are all very welcome.”
“We must ensure that what they have, they hold, in the expectation that the numbers will grow in the future. I asked the Minister to set aside €10 million in his funding for the next four years in order that when planning permission is eventually obtained for the bigger projects, such as the much needed extension of the ring road in Kilkenny, the money will be there to ensure that it is built. Likewise, funding must be put aside for the N24 and the N25, both of which must be delivered. I associate myself with the positive on the tillage sector and ask that no scheme be reduced in funding in order to give to another sector. The amount of money needed, be it €90 million, should be put into the figures and should be confirmed in the Finance Bill.”
“They have deprived people of homes and a decent quality of life. They are a scourge on the country. I saw a man and his family in Portlaoise - a whistleblower, Noel McGree - being evicted in the past few days in the lead-up to a time when families are trying to get their act together to go through Christmas with the children. That is what happened to that whistleblower, and that is what that vulture fund did to him. That is not acceptable. We should look at that matter again in the context of the upcoming finance Bill in order that we could perhaps introduce some form of extra taxation on these funds. There are good, broad plans for education, but small schools like that in Burnchurch in County Kilkenny should not lose a teacher just because it is short by one pupil. We need to reach out to these schools.”
“The Minister, Deputy Browne, is present. I spoke to him about the adaptation grants. I recognise what is available for 2026, but I appeal to him again to make sure that local authorities like Kilkenny County Council have sufficient funds to cover their applications between now and the end of this year. It is absolutely critical for people to be cared for at home by their families to have the support of an extension or various other types of assistance that they can get by way of these adaptation grants. The banks should have been taxed. They are making obscene profits. They are well past the difficulties they had from 2008 onwards, and they should be charged a hell of a lot more in terms of what is expected of them. Likewise with the vulture funds. There is no excuse for not taxing them.”
“I am talking about family-owned businesses here. They are almost being penalised in terms of how they do business. We give them one thing in the budget to provide some sort of support, but then the commercial rates go up, the local property tax goes up and various other charges go up, making it impossible for them to keep their doors open. That is why we are seeing so many family businesses and SMEs closing. We recognise that they are making a contribution to communities, but we are not doing enough for them to keep their doors open. We need to reflect on that, even if it requires some form of in-depth analysis in order that we can target supports to the businesses that are in real trouble, which they are. The budget will be analysed and people will make their own judgment on it. I look at the small things.”
“If rural Ireland is to avail of the developments in the economy in terms of education, job creation or even getting from county to county, we need a proper, well-funded independent coach sector. I appeal to the Minister to consider that whatever reliefs are given to public services should also be given to private operators. I refer to under-nines travelling free of charge or any other schemes that are being availed of by the public providers. We should have the same for the private bus operators. That is an appeal on behalf of rural Ireland, connectivity and people simply getting about the country without a car, which is a target of the Government with a view to reducing the overall emissions. I want to make a case for the SME sector, which has built up over 1 million jobs in the economy over the years.”
“Before our next speaker, I welcome Clontarf Tidy Towns to the Public Gallery. I do not know what kind of tillage they have out there but I hope they enjoy the debate. They are here at the invitation of Deputy Heneghan.”
“The Select Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport has completed its consideration of the following Revised Estimate for Public Services for the service of the year ending 31 December 2025: Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport.”
“For the information of Members, the Deputy should not make reference to the President or draw that office into any controversy in this House. That is a ruling. The Deputy also cannot and should not make reference to people outside the House. They are not here to defend themselves or to support what the Deputy might be claiming. The Deputy did mention that the Minister had lied, and that too is something that should not be said. I need to say that as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to remind all Deputies of the rules and that we want to conduct this debate properly, giving everybody the opportunity to speak but while observing the rules of the House. I call Deputy Ivana Bacik.”
“Given that billions of euro have been passed through this House in terms of supplementary Estimates and the budget, why are the most marginalised and in need in our society still experiencing difficulties with housing adaptation grants, which have been almost stopped in places like Kilkenny? Will the Taoiseach ensure there will be an ongoing fund to take them to the end of the year and thereafter to deal with the number of applications that are there? Why has the €1.6 million that was committed to SOS Kilkenny not been paid to it?”
“They should ensure that all of the approvals are dealt with between now and Christmas, and that the allocations for next year are based on the amount spent this year. There is a lot of work that can be done without any legislation and without getting anyone into bother. I ask that this be considered. Deputy Gould made a great contribution, typical of someone who is on the ground working and who understands the experiences of the people he represents. Please take those views on board.”
“Please let someone speak to the local authorities and unblock the various pieces of red tape I have spoken about. I know for sure that Kilkenny County Council will have a huge number of approvals for the adaptation grant applied for between now and Christmas. However, it has run out of money. It does not have the money. It knows what it has allocated for and it does not have the money to fulfil the allocations. I ask that the Minister makes a special effort with all of the local authorities throughout the country which provide these housing adaptation grants, and which have at list of approvals with no money to match them. They should be given the money between now and Christmas.”
“Local authorities dismiss it, to the extent that if the person fleeing domestic violence comes from a local authority house or a private house the they seem to stand back and expect the woman to live in this set of circumstances without the intervention of the local housing authority, which is the county council. I ask that the regulations on this be examined, along with the regulations on income limits, to ensure that people are given the opportunity to go on the housing list, be it for HAP or other supports, and eventually for their own house. The income limits have to be examined. There has to be flexibility allowed to the local authority to judge for itself. After all, it is a local authority. It is responsible for delivering the houses.”
“All of these may sound like small matters but if we begin to pull them out of the system, we will see that people will react more and deliver more and money will be spent in an efficient and safe way for the purpose of providing someone with a roof over their head. At the end of the day the cost-rental scheme provides a house but it does so at the market value. I believed it was to be the market value less a certain percentage but, for example, a house in Kilkenny costs €1,200. The person going into a cost rental is not able to afford this kind of rent. We need to do more on this. The case of women fleeing domestic violence is very serious.”