Johnny Mythen
Wexford · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Using data sets that use artists' works without their consent or authorisation to train large language models is not a fair use as claimed by many of these generative AI platforms. We would like to see regulation that mandates these platforms and organisations to ensure synthetic text generated by LLMs is watermarked and thus detectable.”
“I welcome this motion and thank my colleague, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, for tabling it at this important juncture in the era of generative AI.”
“This motion calls for the Government to use its influence in our Presidency of the European Council to force attention on the protection of copyright of artists from generative AI. State funding for art must not be used to fund or spent on generative AI artifacts that use artists' creative works without their consent.”
“The primary care service operators in County Wexford are creaking at the knees. Occupational therapists, OTs, in the community health organisation, CHO, 5 south-east area are burned out and under enormous pressure due to the current workload from a long list of clients waiting for appointments and treatment.”
“Will the Tánaiste investigate these unacceptable delays and seek an explanation as to why this is happening? These are children who require an immediate intervention. The longer the delay, the more they will regress. The sooner the treatment starts, the sooner they will progress.”
“Providers themselves are under severe pressure, with many folding and others barely hanging on. That is why core funding supports must be reviewed to reflect what is happening on the ground.”
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“Very often, these carers must leave their jobs to look after their loved ones who are sick, who have a disability or who are stroke victims, leaving them financially worse off. Some must take up part-time jobs while juggling their hours to fit around their caring duties, with no hope of respite. The fact is that carers fall far short of the established minimum standard-of-living income. It is time to abolish the carer's allowance means test. We have to look after the people who look after our sick, elderly and people with disabilities. They have sacrificed their own careers, social lives and hobbies and often face long bouts of loneliness. I thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion forward at this crucial time ahead of the budget next week.”
“I had a case in my own constituency of Wexford of a man who ran his own small business, who retired to look after his wife. She has dementia. He was €10 over the threshold. His only hope came from Family Carers Ireland, which provided him with one hour a week for respite. In that precious hour, he did his weekly shopping and his banking business. I know another woman who looked after elderly mother but she had to take up cleaning jobs to get by. She is totally exhausted by the end of the week as she looks after a young family as well. Surely these citizens deserve better? There are 611,000 family carers in the State, 16,000 of them in my own County Wexford. They are the unseen and often forgotten about workforce. This State would fold in the morning if they decided to quit.”
“In the programme for Government, it states that the Government is committed to the abolition of the carer's means test. We in Sinn Féin have been calling for this for a very long time. The Government declares itself to recognise the enormous contribution that family carers make to Irish society, yet applying the means test to careers is an unfair and regressive policy. Over 70% of carers are currently under enormous pressure to provide the most basic things like food and clothing. We are always aware of the enormous bill this State would have to face if these carers decided to withdraw their services. It is quoted at €20 billion. When you compare this figure to what it would cost to abolish the carer's means test, it is pittance.”
“The Government can make sure that high energy users such as high-tech data centres pay their fair share instead of being subsidised by ordinary householders. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have said they will not introduce a cost-of-living package regarding energy credits during a cost-of-living crisis when people are finding it extremely difficult to get by on a weekly basis and pay their energy bills, during a homelessness crisis with over 5,000 children in shelters and bed and breakfasts, and when small businesses in rural Ireland see their livelihoods slipping away due to high energy costs and fuel hikes. This is the time to support the people. With billions of euro in surplus, there is no excuse for not looking after the elderly and the hard-working people of this country. It is time to step up to the plate and support this motion.”
“This issue must be tackled head on and with urgency. The solution is in the Government's hands. We have the highest electricity prices in Europe. This profit bonanza for these energy companies must be challenged and stopped. The Government has the power to increase the mandate of the energy regulator to hold these companies to account and to prevent them from exploiting and manipulating the markets. It also has the power to change the archaic metric measure used to compare one source of energy with another - known as the levelised cost of energy measurement - and replace it with a more modernised comprehensive measurement. Another thing that can be done is to tackle the planning delays in renewable energy projects, which will help reduce costs.”
“Looking at the energy markets today, it is hard not to see the amount of profiteering and rip-off prices that are fleecing ordinary people in this country. It is not hard to figure out who is doing it. Bord Gáis Energy is increasing its rate by 13.5%, SSE Airtricity by 9.5% with a 12% surcharge, Flogas by 7%, Energia by 12.1% and Pinergy by 9.83%. The ESB made profits of €700 million last year. Energia made an operating profit of €154 million. Shareholders are receiving handsome dividends out of ordinary people's pockets. Most of these companies are owned by outside interests. These hikes will have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people. Some small businesses will go to the wall while it is certain that more and more households will fall into deeper debt and energy poverty.”
“That statement alone is an indictment of the lack of support and inability of future planning for orthodontic services that has left our citizens with a broken system and a totally inadequate DTSS, where 50% of dentists over the past ten years have rejected the scheme. It is now time to fix the problem, not just stumble from year to year having the same debates and discussing the same motions. It is not fair to the thousands of families who are being screwed for the last cents in their pockets because of the inability of the Government to plan, take hold of the real problem and give the people of the country the dental service they deserve and are entitled to.”
“This is forcing parents to go private, costing them an arm and a leg, which they cannot really afford. Of the 810 dentists signed up to the DTSS, only 600 are active. Seven thousand children have been waiting for over a year for orthodontic treatment and more than 2,000 have been waiting for over two years. How is this being allowed to continue? How can anyone justify this or attempt to say things are okay? It is now time to publish the promised dental services plan. People need to be able to access the HSE emergency dental service when needed. However, this is not happening.”
“I thank the Independent and Parties Technical Group for tabling this motion. Access to the DTSS has worsened every year under the Government's watch. Since 2020, I have raised this issue here, along with many other Deputies from across the country. Data in 2020 showed us the extent of the serious and erroneous condition of dental services. Thousands of people are left in pain, some for over a year. Children with special needs and disabilities who need immediate dental treatment have to wait for months for an appointment. Included are many of those who require treatment under anaesthetic. Each of the four main towns in my county – Enniscorthy, Wexford, New Ross and Gorey – faces these unacceptable conditions daily. There are 104,000 children on a waiting list for school dental screening out of an eligible 208,000.”
“These students will be the future foundation of our nation. They should be looked after. A cost-of-living package should be introduced, and the scheduled €1,000 fee hike must be scrapped, with a further reduction of €500, reducing the maximum fee to €1,500. That is what Sinn Féin will do. That is what should be done.”
“We then have the housing Minister effectively giving landlords the go-ahead to raise student rents once they sign a new release, which the majority do, because a new batch of students are coming into first year, others are graduating and leaving their accommodation and others are moving to different colleges. To up student fees by €1,000 in 2025, in what is effectively an even bigger cost-of-living crisis, is unjustifiable. One of the many students who has written to me stated: With no cost-of-living package in sight for the next budget despite our spending power not matching the cost of living at all, with increased rents as the current Government continues to cosy up to landlords and private developers, finally what now feels like a slap in the face with the prospect of an increased student fee.”
“The original reduction of student fees was introduced in 2022. The reason the Government did that was to alleviate the cost of living, which was the right thing to do. To go on that premise and bring it to its logical conclusion, the cost of living today has now increased by at least another third since then. According to Barnardos, one third of parents have gone into arrears on energy bills alone. We see reports in the media that the Government is intent on scrapping the cost-of-living supports in the upcoming budget. Now, we have a Minister saying that student fees could reach €3,000, an increase of €1,000.”
“With the prediction of a steady and substantial increase in the next two decades, this must ring alarm bells. A comprehensive social policy to support independent living must be implemented. A sea change in the State's current policy of privatising nursing homes must be radically invoked or we will be facing many more scandals in the near future like that exposed by RTÉ. The State must bear a duty of care to our ageing population. I ask the Government to please support this motion.”
“The management, the Earle family, stated: "For the past nine years we have put our blood, sweat and tears into making Moyne Nursing Home the home from home that it is today." The family stated: "Since we took over the running of the home back in 2013 we have prided ourselves on providing the highest standards of care to our residents". The family also stated that adequate funding was not provided by the Government to ensure adequate standards set by HIQA were met. Safeguarding legislation must be introduced and an independent safeguarding authority established, as our spokesperson on health, David Cullinane, has advocated for many years now. The reporting of concerns about abuse and neglect must be made mandatory and whistleblowers must be protected. The Government must act now. More than 820,000 citizens are older than 65 years of age.”
“This explains why the system is subject to bad conditions, bad-quality service, cutting corners such as staff shortages, low wages, and unavailable medical devices and supplies, as was exposed by the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme on 4 June. What is needed is the State to assist and fund smaller community nursing homes and to invest in public nursing homes and community beds. Many of these small homes provide excellent-quality services to their residents. More often than not, they personally know the residents and their families as well. Unfortunately, in my hometown of Enniscorthy, the Moyne Nursing Home recently closed, with the loss of 30 jobs.”
“I thank the Labour Party for bringing this important motion to the floor. The statistics alone tell the true story of long-term residential care in our country. More than 80% of nursing homes are now owned by private bodies, with Emeis Ireland being by far the largest operator, owning more than 27 premises in total. When private companies are driven solely by profit, whose solidarity and loyalty only lie with their shareholders and their main goal is to increase dividends, there is a high level of risk that the residents themselves will become a secondary element in such a financially motivated model.”
“What is often forgotten about and pushed aside is the global financial investment our diaspora pours back into our country. It is time to hold a referendum on presidential voting rights for citizens on this island, to up the discourse on Irish unity and to fulfil the terms of the Good Friday Agreement on holding a Border poll. I hope all Deputies will see the merits in this motion and support the voting rights of our citizens at home and abroad.”
“With modern technology, citizens abroad can now remain involved with their communities at home and are well versed in what is going on in the communities they were born into. They feel deeply connected to their place of birth and should be given the right to vote in presidential elections. In fact, the Northern Ireland Assembly recently passed a motion supporting that same principled right to be offered to all citizens on the island of Ireland, while the citizens' assembly’s fifth report on the Irish Constitution proposed to extend the presidential vote to our diaspora. I believe citizens on this island and beyond deserve to be able to vote in the presidential election because, when it comes down to brass tacks, it is still their beloved homeland. To be denied that right is a denial of their identity and their birthright.”
“I am delighted the Government is not opposing this motion. I thank my party for bringing this motion to extend voting rights in presidential elections to all citizens on the island of Ireland and to progress that same right to our diaspora, often aptly referred to as the children of the far-flung, as in the book by Geraldine O'Connell. I believe citizenship should have no borders. Once a person holds an Irish passport, even if they do not reside in our country, they should be entitled to vote in a presidential election. The history of our country is far too blemished with stories of deportation, the stain of migration and forced emigration. Times have changed since the 17th century.”
“We wish the Minister of State every success in his new role, but we are also calling on him and his Department to establish fish Ireland office based in Brussels to represent the whole of the Irish fisheries industry, equivalent to the present strong Dutch representation that is there now. What is needed most is increased investment in maritime infrastructure, especially in places such as Kilmore Quay, Duncannon, Slade and Rosslare. We need a strong voice for the fishers of Ireland, especially when Ireland will have the European Presidency role in the latter half of 2026. We look forward to working with the Minister of State. Sinn Féin will continue to support our fishers to the hilt. The Minister of State mentioned that he was going to different fishing communities. I extend an invitation for him to visit Kilmore Quay.”
“There is no political will to seriously help the industry sad to say I won’t be in [this] much longer the way it is heading hard to pay the bills now with poor quotas that we have Quota cuts on species such as mackerel and pollock are crippling the industry. Out of 12% of the Irish EU waters, Irish fishers only get approximately 5.6% of the quotas. Is this how the Government protects our special communities along our shores that call the coast their home? I think not. We are surrounded by some of the richest fishing waters in the world. We are an island. We must make the most of our natural maritime resources to benefit all our coastal communities and the nation as a whole. Sinn Féin welcomes the re-establishment of the Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine.”
“The Taoiseach recently made a speech at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice. He said: [In] ... supporting sustainable fishing, we will not only protect our marine environment but also preserve and strengthen all the special communities along our shores that call the coast their home. These are fine words. However, in reality, our fishing industry is dying a slow death. Sinn Féin's recent nationwide fisheries and seafood survey found that more than 63% of fishers described the Department of the marine's engagement with the industry as "inadequate or not engaging at all". As one fisherman said: I’m fishing since I was 15 years of age, I’m now 50 ... I’ve never seen the industry in such bad shape [in] all sectors.”
“As the Tánaiste will be aware, the basic necessities such as food, housing, energy, healthcare, rents and transportation have risen in price much faster than the average household income. This is placing enormous pressure on schools, teachers and parents to meet their very basic demands in our schools, particularly in my county of Wexford. The programme for Government states that the Government will increase the capitation grant to ensure schools can meet these costs, yet schools are funded to the same rates since 2009. Will the primary capitation grant be increased by €75 per pupil in the upcoming budget as recommended by the INTO? Schools and parents are straining to pay their basic bills and cover their costs.”
“Give local authorities the tools and funding they need to proceed with refurbishment works to bring vacant homes back into use without the need for departmental approval. I ask everyone to please support the Raise the Roof rallies outside Leinster House on 17 June and in the rebel county of Cork on 21 June.”
“How can it be explained to this family, or the many other families in the same predicament, why those houses are empty in a chronic housing crisis? Each of these houses should have a family living in it. Surely, in a country with huge surpluses amounting to billions, it is not an unreasonable ask to properly fund local authorities to maintain and return their homes to families in dire need. It is totally delusional for central government to think that, in 2025, a cap of €11,000 per home is financially adequate to return these council houses to occupation, taking into account alone the high cost of materials and goods at today's prices. It is time to get real. These homes should be returned to families. It can be done. Four thousand seven hundred and seventy-five children deserve a home, a life and a future.”
“As I mentioned previously, we have 2,749 council houses boarded up and left idle. Some 800 of these have been so for more than 12 months. Another shocking figure is the 15,580 homeless citizens in emergency accommodation - not including those on the streets - including 4,775 children. Why is the Government allowing this to continue? I spoke to a young man in Wexford town only yesterday. He is 34 years old and his wife is 30. Their rent was increased substantially and they had to leave the house they had rented for more than nine years. They had to spend nine months in emergency accommodation with their two children aged under two. It almost broke them. There are 39 boarded up local houses in County Wexford. How can anyone justify this position?”
“This legislation is based on the fundamental principle of public policy grounds, inclusive of Ireland's obligation to uphold international law. It is constitutionally compliant with Irish law and European law and professionally drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers. It is time for action. It is time to listen to the Irish people. It is time to outlaw the sale of Israeli war bonds and pass the occupied territories Bill. It is time to do the right thing. It is time to pass this Bill.”
“We must protect and promote tolerance, understanding and, above all, human rights, especially the right to self-determination. We can do this tonight by allowing the passage of the Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025. This Bill will allow the Minister to restrict the sale of Israeli bonds - in reality, war bonds - through the Irish Central Bank. It brings to mind a quote from the banker, Baron Rothschild, that the time to buy is when there is blood in the streets. There is innocent blood spilled on every street in Gaza. It is time to stop the blood money flowing from the Irish Central Bank to the war machine in Israel. The Government, in all conscience, cannot allow this to continue. If we do, we are complicit in financing barbaric war crimes and complicit in the extermination of the Palestinian people.”
“What is happening in Gaza and the West Bank is, by definition, genocide, which is defined as an unimaginable horror during which millions of innocent people are targeted based on their race, religion, nationality or other factors. Within the last few days, we have heard surgeons documenting their stories about the horrific attacks and bombardment of innocent children across Palestine. One such doctor, Dr. Sam Attar, on Sky News only yesterday described how a father had arrived at the hospital with a plastic bag. Inside was his daughter's head, arm and leg. He asked where the morgue was and where he could bury his child. In the doctor's words, this is not right; it is not natural. This is one of the many reasons that demands that we, as a small nation, must take a stand.”
“As a nation, we must stand with the downtrodden and the oppressed. We must stand with the besieged Palestinian people against apartheid and genocide. We must introduce the occupied territories Bill now and stop being complicit in the use of Shannon Airport. The Government must stop acquiescing in the act of selling Israeli war bonds through the Irish Central Bank. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment must be held responsible for deploying dual licenses for products and components that are used for military purposes in the destruction of the Palestinian people. Government contracts with Israeli military companies must be forensically examined and transparent. The people of Palestine will always have the support of the Irish people. We say no to genocide, apartheid and colonisation.”
“A total of 53,528 are dead and more than 1,119 wounded, not to mention the killing of 166 journalists and a shocking 224 humanitarian workers. Some 300 UNRWA workers have also been murdered. The language of mainstream media, with words such as ground offensive or ground operation, is repeated instead of calling it what it actually is, namely, a full scale invasion by anyone’s moral compass. The renowned Palestinian humanitarian rights activist, Mahmoud Nawaja, recently visited Leinster House. He said that complicity is the enemy of his people and that boycott and divestment are the two non-violent tactics anyone can use. For example, the Australian company funding Norwegian pension funds has divested from former Israeli military industries. What can we do and what should we do?”
“I add my voice to the many voices in this House and the thousands of the voices around the world condemning the Israeli Government on what is legitimately described as a calculated, ethnically-cleansing slaughter of the Palestinian people. Israel is demolishing their homelands and denying them their true birth rights. Before the eyes of the world, Israel is systematically demolishing Gaza zone by zone. It is flatting infrastructure, including homes, hospitals and water facilities, and using starvation as a weapon of war. It is flouting international humanitarian law and attempting to diminish the International Court of Justice. We are witnessing Israel’s propaganda machine in full motion when it declares that these are legitimate acts of war and a justification for killing innocent people, including women and children.”
“I would ask the Taoiseach to intervene through the relevant Department and see that the process is fast-tracked for these vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.”
“I want to bring to the Taoiseach's attention the serious situation concerning Women's Collective Ireland - Wexford. Through the Reach grant, the body held 131 courses and facilitated 1,180 disadvantaged and vulnerable women in Wexford. I was also contacted by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland Wexford and Waterford branch. Both organisations have been told by senior managers that it will take weeks before final decisions on the Reach grant's 2025 budget are made to allocate the funds to the groups. This is causing great upset and disappointment to our most vulnerable citizens, their case managers and volunteers alike, as it is making it impossible for the groups to organise classes and work groups and will set their plans back by as much as six months at a minimum, putting their future in disarray.”
“The Government must insist it develops service site schemes into our small villages and communities and provide the necessary funding. In County Wexford, however, Uisce Éireann is concentrating on the towns of Gorey and Wexford, leaving the rural community, small towns and villages to dwindle and die. I ask that the House supports the motion.”
“Housing targets have been missed year in, year out. Even more staggering, there are more than 166,000 voids in the country, and this when homeless figures are at a record level, with the latest figures showing 15,418 people homeless, of whom 4,675 are children. This is a scandal. The recent criteria attached to the current tenant in situ scheme must be re-evaluated. This is a successful scheme that can and has prevented people from becoming homeless. I appeal to the Minister to re-examine the unfair changes introduced to the tenant in situ scheme which will result in more people losing their homes. A contributing factor is rents. In my county alone, the average listed rent is now €1,423. Uisce Éireann, in its strategic growth plan, must be cognisant of rural towns and villages where people prefer to live.”
“I will begin by highlighting the issue of infrastructure in my county of Wexford. One of the main vital issues our country faces at present, after the provision of affordable and social housing, is energy sustainability. Rosslare Europort is the number one port for roll on, roll off PAX services in Europe. However, the delay in developing the port into Ireland's offshore renewable energy hub is extremely worrying considering there is a supposed deadline for the project to be finalised by 2027. It is also worrying that the N11 bottleneck, which transfers into the N25 at Oilgate, is hampering the development of the region and the completion of the main artery of the European route E01 from Belfast to Rosslare, not to mention the underdevelopment of the rail lines, particularly the regularity and upgrading of intercity trains.”
“We in Sinn Féin are calling on the Minister to work with Together for Public, consult it on the terms of reference and set a timeframe for an action plan. As the quote goes, "To take children seriously is to value them for who they are right now rather than adults-in-the-making."”
“This is why we in Sinn Féin fully support the alliance for public childcare, led by the National Women's Council, in calling on the Government to implement employment regulation orders, publish the details of its action plan, reduce the cost of childcare and make it more affordable for every child and parent no matter their background recognise the value and importance of early educators and acknowledge pay parity in the context of their experience, qualifications and degrees. This motion has been tabled to highlight the lack of progress on childcare provision, given that the Government, in particular Fine Gael, stated that a public childcare model would be a key priority if it was returned to Government. One hundred days have passed and we are still waiting for the Government to prioritise the public childcare model.”
“I thank an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, an tAire agus an Teachta Kerrane. Childcare is the most important element of shaping the future of society. It can enable individuals and families to thrive and develop cohesive communities and help to secure vibrant, safe and sociable environments where children can foster and grow. It is not an exaggeration to say that childcare is the foundation nations are built on. Early years educators are the backbone of this key service and a stepping stone in unfolding and developing the future citizens of our Republic. However, early learning educators' pay and conditions are substandard when compared with those in many other European countries.”
“What waiting list and mental health initiatives will be taken in County Wexford, where children are being left up to four and a half years without a service or a therapist, which is adding stress and causing further harm to those children's mental health?”
“I raise the matter of waiting lists and times for children who require psychology treatment, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy in primary care in County Wexford. At present, the number of children waiting for psychology treatment is 833, with a waiting time of four and a half years. A total of 631 children are waiting for speech and language therapy, with a waiting time of two and a half years. In the case of occupational therapy, 1,312 children must wait more than three and a half years for treatment. The programme for Government states that the Government will invest in waiting list initiatives and enhance youth mental health services.”
“I will quote one of the mothers, who referred to: the absolute scandal of huge sums of money being used on unnecessary hip operations, while children with scoliosis are left without their much needed lifesaving operations, there’s something very wrong with the system I ask the Minister to support the motion.”
“He said that he trusted the experts, the surgeons and the social contract to look after his child's well-being but that they had been failed in all three categories. Will the Minister commit to providing certainty to all parents of children who have had orthopaedic surgery at CHI? Can she guarantee that this will never be allowed to happen again? We are calling for a full investigation and comprehensive forensic review to be carried out and for any findings to be acted upon. Anyone found responsible for gross negligence and malpractice must be dealt with using the full rigours of the State. A full plan must be put in place to assist and help all families affected by this abject failure to protect their children.”
“I recently had a visit from the father of one of the children who had hip surgery and who had received one of the generic letters from CHI stating that his child should receive follow-up care until her bones had fully grown and developed, contrary to what he was told after a first consultation in 2022, which was that she would be okay after a year. He went on to describe the impact this surgery had on his daughter. He spoke about having to leave his child of two and half years screaming and crying while he tried to hold back his own tears as he made his way down the corridor and about the days of watching her as she could not walk for ages. He then said something very poignant.”
“I am sure none of us would ever have envisaged or expected a motion like this being moved in the House. How do you explain to the parents, guardians and families the 147 cases of unnecessary hip surgeries carried out in the period from 2021 to 2023 in three institutions under the care of CHI? Hip operations were carried out on children as young as two and a half years old and there is a real possibility that hundreds more cases during the preceding decade may be discovered. The facts of the matter are of great concern to parents and guardians and to many children who are awaiting future hip surgery. There was no disclosure of concerns from the previous Minister for Health although he had been made aware of these serious allegations as far back as May 2024.”
“I raise the issue of the flood relief scheme in my home town of Enniscorthy. The Government committed to deliver the scheme in 2014, almost 11 years ago. People and business owners living beside the Slaney are constantly apprehensive and on the alert, especially in winter time and high-tide season. We were told that funding was ring-fenced in 2014. However, to date no progress is forthcoming. I ask the Taoiseach, who is well aware in his own county of the disruption and financial hardship flooding causes in people's lives to ask his Ministers to deliver the scheme, which is long overdue and to fulfil the promise given 11 years ago to the people and town of Enniscorthy.”
“The Government must give a full commitment to the citizens of this country that our water networks must never be privatised and that the right to water will be enshrined in the Constitution. If the Minister is serious and honest about not introducing water charges, he should back the Bill. I urge all Deputies to protect the people's interest and support the Bill.”
“We know the plans for water charges are now taking a different strategic approach and are being filtered through a piecemeal incremental package, such as the option of the introduction of a charge for the excess use of water. This would eventually lead to the introduction of a charge by volume which, in turn, would entice private companies to compete with Uisce Éireann and possibly take over our water resources altogether. Water is a human right and must always be protected. We have seen what the privatisation of water means and the consequences that follow. Just look at the story of the Homrich Nine in Detroit, where a private company came in and turned off the water of more than 83,000 people during a heatwave. Look across the water where water charges increased by 26% in April, with an increase of 27% in Wales.”
“I thank Deputies McDonald and Ó Broin for tabling this important Bill. It simply comprises the repeal of Part 2 of the Water Services Act 2017. The Bill would protect citizens by prohibiting Uisce Éireann from introducing a customer charge for the use of water in excess of a specific threshold amount. Recent reports have flagged that the Government is intent on introducing water charges. Although it has denied this, it would not be beyond the bounds of truth to say water charges have been on the table for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael since 2009. However, the charges were utterly rejected by the Irish people. When Right2Water organised there were 100 massive demonstrations throughout the country in 2014.”