Keira Keogh
Mayo · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I am a grown woman and I would be really embarrassed if I had to ask the Tánaiste, as my superior, for a tampon. Luckily, here in Leinster House they are freely available in some of the bathrooms, although not all.”
“It is an average of €100 per year, which is around the cost of junior GAA membership. I welcome improvements in some public places. We now have period products in libraries and hospitals. I know there are two programme for Government commitments under education and health.”
“A recent report from Barnardos shows that children are going without activities and sport due to a lack of money. A total of 44% of parents surveyed said that they are cutting back on social activities and entertainment, 19% are cutting back on local sport activity participation and 16% are cutting back on school activities and trips.”
“We must ensure our children in low-income families, IPAS facilities or emergency accommodation do not miss out on the opportunity for friendship, confidence and physical development that play and extracurricular activities bring.”
“As the chair of the children and equality committee, I must examine this through the lens of children's rights, and I see where there might be gaps.”
“If Deputy O'Donoghue thinks that he has not used AI before, he definitely has. Even if he has not used a particular AI app, if he put a search into Google this evening, he would have got an AI summary whether he wanted it or not.”
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“I also think of Private Billy Kedian, whose family waited over two decades for him to be posthumously awarded the distinguished service medal with honour. We need a robust support for our veterans.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. Could I take ten seconds of my one minute to thank his Department and our ambassadors for the work they did on getting Gena Heraty and other hostages released from Haiti? It is much appreciated. I acknowledge the tremendous work done by the organisations the Tánaiste mentioned, including ONE, the Association of Retired Commissioned Officers and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association. It is great to hear there is cross-government work to get the veteran affairs office established but we need clear timelines because our veterans have worked in really challenging circumstances. They come home and transition into work life with patchy mental health supports. We know there is an increased risk of homelessness.”
“The contribution of our Defence Forces, both at home and abroad, is undoubtedly a source of incredible pride for us as Irish people. Could the Tánaiste please outline the plans to further support our veterans of the Defence Forces? I notice that in the programme for Government, there are plans to establish a properly resourced office for veteran affairs.”
“Disabled people must be able to move through our transportation system, our streets, our public and commercial spaces with the same freedom as everybody else. We can do this by keeping universal design at the forefront of everything we do. I am a really proud member of the disability matters committee and I will be responsible to hold this Government to account on delivering the strategy. We all need to remember the theme, which is equal voices, equal actions and equal futures. This is the theme of the strategy as chosen by the disabled voices and it must be the measure of all of us in this Chamber.”
“Another boy was in a school but did not have the right resources. Today finally, the last one has turned green, even though there are still some physical and human resources needed. We have to keep moving towards green, translating the commitments we have made across classrooms, workplaces, hospitals, housing and transport systems into real, tangible improvements in daily life. Disabled children must be able to go to school with their siblings and neighbours and must be given all the support they need to achieve their potential and ambition. Disabled young adults must be able to live in a home of their own with individualised supports that they need, not in nursing homes away from their communities.”
“I think of the primary medical certificate and a young girl who needs an altered car to get to work, to an appointment or to go and see her friends. We know a legislative change is needed to take the primary medical certificate out of the Department of Finance. She is still waiting and that representation is still orange. I think of respite and a young boy who has graduated from early intervention and is now with one of the section 39 organisations, which does not have the capacity to give him the same respite he was getting. His representation is still orange and his mother has put a surgery on hold because she does not have the respite she needs to recover. I think of school places. I have been engaged with really frustrated parents and principals who technically had a school place but in reality some were still at home.”
“It is really important that we carry that with us, and ensure that these disabled voices and the voices of their carers and families are with us every step of the way as we deliver the strategy. There was a really clear visual demonstration at the event of the whole-of-government approach we keep hearing about. Several Ministers were present at the launch. I hope their presence marks the step change we have been promised. It shows the political will is there to deliver the strategy in collaboration across Departments. As we know, disability does not fit neatly into any one Department. In my office we use a traffic light system for representations - red if we have not been able to deliver, orange if something is still in process, and green if we have been successful in helping somebody navigate the system.”
“I attended the launch of the strategy last week. It was the most gorgeous event, surrounded by people from all sectors of society but most importantly the disabled voices in the room. While it was a beautiful event, the strategy itself felt different. We hear time and again from disabled people. They tell us there should be "nothing about us, without us". That is what makes this strategy feel different, because it is woven with the voices of disabled people who are at its foundation, with hundreds of contributions from disabled people, their families and carers shaping it. I also felt at the event that the disabled voices there were very excited about the strategy, in the songs they sang and the speeches they gave, but also in the conversations over coffee we had at the beginning.”
“While those of us here today in this Chamber may hold different views on various things, it is my hope that we can be united on this, namely that the politics of hate have no place in Dáil Éireann or in our constituencies or communities.”
“It demands bravery, not only from those in the community but also from those of us who are allies. As I said at the beginning of my address, I had the pleasure of walking in the Dublin Pride Parade in June. My support should not and will not end there, however. It will continue for the other 364 days of the year as a TD, as chair of the children and equality committee, and, more importantly, as an ally of the LGBTQI+ community. I want to make it clear that I will call out and challenge hate wherever it happens, in public or political discourse in media and in our communities. I will continue to push for protections against hate crimes and hate speech. I will continue to push for inclusivity in our schools, healthcare and communities, because every person has the right to live free from fear.”
“It is a country where community matters. This does not happen by chance; it happens because people speak out and do the hard work necessary to build a more equal society, whether that is in Fairview Park in Dublin or Stonewall in New York where suits of equality were led by the bravest of individuals who refused to be silenced in the face of injustice. That is the legacy that is ours to carry on. Now is not the time to roll back rights for LGBTQI+ people. It is not the time for rights to retreat. We are seeing instances of this rollback in Ireland from people who wish to frame inclusion as a threat and treat difference as a danger. Now is the time that all of us who are allies of the LGBTQI+ community must be loud in our support. Pride remains a political act.”
“I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government to improve and protect the rights of the community in Ireland. In recognising the threat to the community here compared with other jurisdictions, we must continue to make progress for this community. I support the implementation of the national LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy, which focuses on safety, health and well-being, participation and inclusion, equality and non-discrimination and which also includes those online. I also note the commitment to improving access to health services for LGBTQI+ people. Importantly, I really welcome plans to advance legislation to ban conversion practices and look forward to going through this at the Joint Committee on Children and Equality, which I chair. Ireland is a country that voted for love. We were the first to legalise it by popular vote.”
“Research published by Trinity College Dublin and Belong To, namely Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland 2024, found that 45% of the community in Ireland feel unsafe holding hands with a same-sex partner in public and that over half of trans and non-binary people feel unsafe expressing their gender identity in public. The research further found that one in four members of Ireland's LGBTQI+ community have been punched, hit or physically attacked just as a result of their identity. A 2024 report, LGBTIQ equality at a crossroads: progress and challenges, by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that more than one in three faced discrimination in their daily life because of who they are and more than one in two were victims of hate-motivated harassment.”
“While this was a step in the right direction, we must continue to be aware that the journey for true equality for trans people is far from over. These are just three examples of the progress that has been made in Ireland, but Pride also serves as a reminder of the work we still have to do. We have LGBTQI+ youths who are growing up in fear in this country. There are trans people who are waiting years to access healthcare in this country. We know of many attacks on the community in the context of a landscape at the moment that too often provides a platform for hate. Rights for the LGBTQI+ community are under attack, with 676 hate crimes and hate-related incidents reported to An Garda Síochána in 2024. That was an increase on the previous year.”
“Many regard the sad case of Declan Flynn as the catalyst for the Pride movement in Ireland. It is in our living memory that simply being gay in this country was a crime. Silence and stigma loomed over Ireland until 1993, when homosexuality was finally decriminalised. This was a change driven by people who fought relentlessly - often against the tide - for equality. From that moment, we saw massive changes. The year 2010 saw the introduction of civil partnerships and 2015 saw the historic moment as Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular referendum. As we celebrate that decade, I congratulate the almost 80 couples in my home county who got married. We also saw the Gender Recognition Act coming into force in 2015. That legislation allows transgender people to have their gender recognised by the State.”
“In Ireland, that journey to progress has been both painful and profound. One of the most poignant stories in the history of LGBTQI+ rights in this country is that of Declan Flynn. Declan was killed in Fairview Park in Dublin in 1982 by a group who were all part of "the team to get rid of queers in Fairview Park". His death coincided with a series of beatings that were being dished out to gay men in Fairview Park at the time. His killers were not jailed, with the group given suspended sentences for manslaughter. This drew surprise and concern from many people across the country. The response to the verdict was the largest gay rights demonstration that had ever been seen in Ireland. It was a defiant show of strength in the deeply conservative Ireland of the time. That June, the first gay pride march would take place in Dublin.”
“Ministers agus a chairde go léir, it is an honour to stand before you today as an ally and a proud supporter of the LGBTQI+ community. Over the month of June, we celebrated Pride around the country and around the world. Pride is a powerful expression of identity, resilience and love. I had the pleasure of walking in the 2025 Dublin Pride Parade alongside the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, as well as attending the Pride parade in my hometown of Westport. I really can attest to this expression. However, we must remember Pride is not just simply a parade; it is also a protest, a history and a journey. It serves as a reminder of how far we have come but also of the hard truth that progress, particularly continued progress, is never guaranteed.”
“Planning regulations stipulate that new housing developments of up to 75 units must provide a childcare facility with up to 20 places. We are in a childcare crisis and this is simply not working in small, medium and large towns. In my own town of Westport, we recently saw separate developments of 50, 48 and 20 units, a total of 118 units, but no new childcare facility. There is a new housing plan coming. Are there any plans to change this stipulation in respect of housing developments?”
“There is a lot of work that we need to do here and I just do not get a sense of urgency. I am Chairperson of the Committee on Children and Equality. We need to look at all the ways that we can protect our children from this harm.”
“Obligations are one thing but we definitely need sanctions and need them quickly. The deadline for these obligations to be in place is 21 July. The Minister will forgive me for my scepticism, but I do not see swift action following. We need to name these companies, shame these companies and have swift sanctions. At a national level, we need to be able to discuss these challenges openly. We have to educate our young people on consent. We have to ensure we are tackling at the very least under-18s who are being exposed to violence and rape. Just this week Women's Aid reported a 12% increase in people contacting it over domestic violence. It had 32,144 people contacting it this year. We know that there is a connection between pornography and violence against women. We also need to consider that only 20% of parents are using parental controls.”
“Their young minds think that this is what sex is, this is how they should behave, this is what they should expect or even this is what they should look like. We need robust policies and legislation to stop the pornography industry from profiting off our children. We need to start the age verification process and we must have strict enforcement by the online safety commissioner for non-compliant websites, which should face fines. France recently introduced an enforcement mechanism that results in websites in breach of age verification systems facing significant fines and even being permanently banned. Our online safety commissioner, Niamh Hodnett, said that video sharing platforms established in Ireland will have to have age verification measures to block under-18s from accessing adult content by 21 July.”
“I am not trying to be the fun police or drag Ireland back to the time when sex was seen as bad or dirty, but gone are the days when teenagers hid magazines underneath their pillows. Nowadays, access to pornography is a free-for-all and completely unregulated. Just a cursory glance at some of the adult websites accessible in Ireland shows that these expect users to check a box to claim they are aged 18, with little to no age verification. The content our children are viewing has been shown to increase mental health challenges and sexual aggression and decrease stability for future relationships. Children and teenagers are getting the wrong impression of sex. It is grooming our boys to be violent and our girls to be submissive and think they should consent to sexual violence.”
“Imagine you have a 12-year-old child and found out that child was watching or was exposed to pornography on a sitting room television while visiting a friend's house. The child would likely be permanently banned from visiting that friend's house and it is likely you would report the parent to Tusla. Yet, we are giving our children smartphones with open access to the Internet where they regularly encounter misogynistic and toxic content online, especially on well-known pornographic websites. Ignorance is not bliss any more. Parents, Coimisiún na Meán and the Government need to step up and urgently act to protect our children. Children as young as those still in primary school are accessing porn. A recent UK study found that one in ten children has viewed pornography by the age of nine with half the respondents seeing it by the age of 13.”
“Three times I took the train to Dublin and three times I had to rent a car to get back to Mayo in time for meetings. Increased services would help our students, workers coming from the west to the east and families and tourists alike. I will finish on this note. We need to bring the trolley back on trains from Dublin to Westport. It sounds like a nice-to-have but it is a journey of three and a half hours for some people. Many members of the older population and tourists get on the train without realising there is no trolley service. There is not a bottle of water available if there is an emergency. There are no vending machines. I consistently receive emails from my constituents about this. Having raised the issue with the NTA and recently with Irish Rail, I feel the promise to bring the trolley back is going backwards, not forwards.”
“Ballina also plays a regional key role as a freight hub that connects Mayo to industries in Dublin Port. With strategic investment, that link could be strengthened, making Mayo a logistics leader. As I said, if we get the train to Shannon Airport and the train to Knock Airport, just imagine the industry we could support. It would also reduce the number of freight trucks on the roads, lowering our emissions and supporting our climate commitments. I acknowledge a huge increase in the number of services on the Dublin to Westport route. There are now five services from Monday to Thursday and six on Fridays. However, it is recommended we have a train every two hours. As a new TD, I tried to take the train to Dublin to reduce my emissions.”
“Lots of compliments have been thrown out, but if we got a train all the way to Ireland West Airport, we could call it "the Canney Express". We are all bidding for the Minister of State's attention. In all seriousness, the Claremorris to Athenry line is a vital piece of railway. It would be a lifeline for regional development and would restore a vital link between Mayo and Galway, offering new economic, tourism and commuter opportunities. Reconnecting the rail line from Claremorris to Athenry would enable students from the west to more easily access third level education in Galway and Limerick. It would be an equaliser and would also ease pressure on some of the urban housing hotspots if people could travel from rural areas in the west into cities such as Galway.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. I will address the all-Ireland strategic rail review from the perspective of its profound significance to County Mayo. I am lucky to have a door-to-door service from Westport to Dublin, but if I want to go to Galway, which is the nearest city, I would have to go to Athlone and then back to Galway and if I want to go to Sligo, I have to drive or take the bus. It would be fantastic if students in particular were able to get from Mayo to Galway by train, especially as we are struggling with the housing crisis. We want a more connected and more equitable Ireland. Some 32 strategic recommendations came out of the review. One of the lines to be reinstated has to be the western railway corridor between Claremorris and Athenry. Deputy Sheehan spoke about the success of the new route in Limerick.”
“We also need to consider the language that is used and I was glad to see that point being highlighted in the review. We need to move away from the health view of diagnoses and into an access and inclusion perspective. With that, we should do away with language such as "units" and stick to using "classrooms". They are not units or clinical settings. They are learning environments and classrooms. We must move away from "autism spectrum disorder" to person-centred language. You do not "have autism" but "are autistic", and are proud to be autistic and to have a different neurotype. We also need to move away from "special needs". They are not special needs but additional educational needs. We must help these children to realise their full potential in life.”
“It is about interweaving support through all activities. We must also look at changing the ratios for approving new special classrooms or autism classrooms. I know the ratio was reduced from eight teachers to six teachers, but we must consider rural schools. There are some schools in my constituency in Mayo that will never reach six teachers. I think of Mountpleasant National School, which has already identified three children who would love to stay in the school with their siblings and avoid long bus journeys. By being in that school, as I said, they might be invited to the local birthday parties and become a part of the community. I thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who worked with me on this issue. We hope that in 2026, we will be able to open a classroom in the school in a flexible way without the need to reach six teachers.”
“I want to consider some of the recommendations. There was reference to an inclusive environment for our children. What does that really mean? It means that they are able to move flexibly between settings. Killeen National School outside Louisburgh does this very well. It is a small rural school. I worked with one particular kid and from the get-go when he joined the special class, he was included in art, lunchtime and PE. The curriculum may have had to be completely adapted for him, but he stayed with his peers all the way up and graduated from the school this year. It means that those children are invited to birthday parties and are played with at lunchtime. "Inclusive" must mean that children are included. It does not just mean that support is on offer beside the school or in the same school.”
“As a behavioural consultant who worked in the area for 19 years, I understand why we now need a shift to student support plans that are responsive and dynamic, rather than prescriptive and inflexible. Over the past two decades, we have seen some schools carry out IEPs excellently. For other schools, they have sometimes been a tick-the-box exercise. IEPs, when handed over from one teacher to another or one school to another, can be a good roadmap to show what the student has achieved. Sometimes IEPs are not reflective of what was happening on the ground and are just nice documents. We must ensure that student support plans are child-centred rather than bureaucratically centred. All of our children deserve a positive learning experience and an opportunity to realise their full potential when they go to school.”
“I also acknowledge and look forward to the roll-out of a return to schools of therapists, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and behaviour support specialists, not as HSE staff but as staff of the Department of Education. We are starting with 90 therapists in 45 schools, and I hope they are rolled out in a meaningful way whereby they are actively in classrooms for a period of a day, rather than just being set aside for one-to-one therapies. They can help with what is happening at circle time, physical education, PE, time and academic time by looking at the whole classroom approach rather than just being involved in one-to-one sessions. We must also consider the fact that sections 3 to 12, inclusive, of the Act were not commenced. They would have seen a legal requirement for individual education plans, IEPs.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for all they are doing to try to move the dial for disability matters and children with additional needs. Fifty-one recommendations have come out of the review of the 2004 EPSEN Act. Two decades ago, the Act set out ambitiously to ensure equal access to an education system that would recognise the potential and rights of our children with additional needs. We must acknowledge that many improvements have been made in those two decades, including an increase in the number of special needs assistants, SNAs, and positive changes in how they are allocated, as well as other resources. We must also acknowledge the increase in special education teaching hours and an increase in special classes from only 400 in 2010 to 3,400 in 2024.”
“I like grassroots campaigns like that of Councillor Fergal Nealon in Strandhill, where parents are joining a pact, but I also feel the Government has a responsibility to restrict social media for under-16s, along with education campaigns and engaging with social media companies.”
“I join colleagues in extending sympathies to those who lost their lives in India and to Deputy Conway-Walsh on the loss of her mother. Will the Tánaiste tell me what steps the Government is taking in relation to the effects social media is having on our under-16s? What meetings have happened with social media companies? This is an issue I campaigned vigorously on during the local and general elections. I think identity verification across the board would be welcome but, as a start for our under-16s, I am happy to see the Tánaiste has been talking about the impact of this issue on our young citizens in relation to bullying, self-esteem, etc.”
“Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty - To discuss stricter rules for companies applying for public infrastructure contracts such as hospitals, roads and bridges, public housing, swimming pools and community centres. The matters raised by Deputies Séamus McGrath, Colm Burke, Paul Donnelly, Paul Nicholas Gogarty and Aidan Farrelly have been selected for discussion.”
“McGuinness - To discuss the impact of the housing crisis on rural communities, as highlighted recently by GAA officials. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the closure of Southdoc Blackpool, County Cork. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the delay in payments of ICT and minor works grants for schools. Deputies Natasha Newsome Drennan and David Cullinane - To discuss funding for the N25 Waterford to Glenmore road scheme and road safety issues. Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the issues faced by non-EEA health workers in obtaining family reunification visas for close family members. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss organised crime in Limerick city and the resources needed by the gardaí to address this issue.”
“Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the review of the school transport scheme ahead of the new school year. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss the allocation of dental training places in Irish universities. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the planned extension of a secondary school (details supplied) in Carnew, County Wicklow. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss Adam's protocols and the need for alternatives to accident and emergency departments for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss waiting periods for many social welfare appeals. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss matters in respect of the provision of early learning service provision and after-school care provision in Kildare. Deputy Conor D.”
“Deputy John Brady - To discuss the development of the Greystones media campus, which is partly funded by the Strategic Investment Fund. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss the opening of an additional train station in County Louth. Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss local government reform as set out in the programme for Government. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss the need to establish Jigsaw services in County Clare. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss funding to be provided to An Post following a series of recent post office closures across County Cork. Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss the inclusion of a Drogheda school (details supplied) in the Pathfinder programme. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss the student accommodation crisis in UL. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for disability services for people living in Lusk.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss the growing demand for a secondary school in Newcastle. Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss the report from Crohn's and Colitis Ireland highlighting the hidden costs of Crohn's and Colitis. Deputy Paul Donnelly - To discuss processing the witness check process for passports in a digital forum. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss sustained attacks by the Hungarian Government on LBTQ+ citizens and how the EU will deal with this. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss improving the road standard of the N70 national secondary Ring of Kerry Road.”
“Really and truly, we have to completely clear the backlog with the assessment of need process so that therapists can get back to providing therapies, and Cara can get back to school.”
“I chose instead to go and work privately for myself, where I could manage my caseload and see my clients on a regular basis. I knew that early intervention and regular appointments were where the difference was going to be made, and that is where we see a lot of struggles for therapists who are pulling away now. So many of our therapists are caught trying to catch up on the assessment of need backlogs and are maybe not providing the therapies where they want to. We know that the CDNTs are really struggling, so we have to increase our staff and train more therapists. We also have to continue our investment in disability services. I know it is at record levels but we must continue to do more.”
“This debate in the Dáil is really helpful because we keep talking about how disability is at the forefront of all of our minds. There is cross-party agreement that we have to do better and that this issue and the issue of housing are going to be the measure of our Government. They are our two biggest challenges. I look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues on the disability matters committee. When we are working together and bringing solutions from across the House, we can make inroads in disability. We have to continue to expand services, and address recruitment and retention issues. There is a 21% vacancy rate on CDNT teams across the country. I have been guilty of not signing up to HSE jobs when I had the option.”
“NEPS psychologists and therapists have said that they want that detailed knowledge and diagnosis because the assessment notes are really key for them to work off. We also have to acknowledge that sometimes parents feel the assessment of need is their only route to services, but actually they can access CDNTs, primary care, SET and SNA hours in school and NEPS psychologists. I welcome that they can now access the domiciliary care grant without the assessment of need being completed but we also have to acknowledge that these services are really stretched. I welcome the roll-out of therapists within schools. This is going to be one of the step changes we have discussed, and it is really welcome. We need to continue fighting and working as hard as we possibly can.”
“However, we must recognise why there has been such an increase in the demand for assessments of need. Parents know that services are stretched. They know CAMHS services are stretched, as are primary care services and the CDNTs. There are almost 700 children in CHO 2, which comprises my area of Mayo, Galway and Roscommon, waiting for CDNT appointments. These parents feel that they need the diagnosis and they need to get that statement in their hand. They need the diagnosis if they want to access home tuition or if they want to access a special school or an autism class. Without the assessment of need, providers like NEPS psychologists or therapists like speech and language therapists are often working off anecdotal information, school data or their own observations.”
“They want and crave that statement of need in their hand because it tells them the list of services and supports that should be provided to their child. I commend Cara Darmody who is outside protesting for 50 hours, but I am uncomfortable because it is terrible that she has to do that, and it is terrible that we have over 15,000 children on our waiting list. There are almost 200 children in my own constituency of Mayo waiting for an assessment of need. We must do better. We must continue to increase resources. We have to use the private sector and continue to do so where needed, and we have to address recruitment and retention issues. I welcome the 65% increase in completed assessments of need in the first three months of this year. I welcome the regional hubs that have been set up to target the backlog, and I also welcome Cara's fund.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister. When I worked for 19 years with the neurodiverse community, I was often the first point of contact after a parent acknowledged a concern for their child, or was potentially nudged by a relative, a childminder or a preschool teacher to talk to their GP or public health nurse. It takes real courage for a parent to do this when they notice that milestones are being missed or when they start to see struggles in areas like speech and language, difficulties with motor planning, behavioural struggles, social challenges or learning difficulties. It takes real courage to take that first step to seek answers, a diagnosis and a roadmap. Why do parents do that? They know the assessment of need process is objective.”
“We must be robust in ensuring protections for our most vulnerable. We must not allow the Farrelly commission report to become just another document that collects dust. The report must be a catalyst for change and for a glaring light shining down on all of the services we have for people with disabilities, transparency and lasting change. We must continue to challenge our biases when we meet children and adults with perceived profound difficulties who are non-speaking. We must not presume that they are not able to advocate for themselves. We must never again allow silence or inaction. We must make this a turning point that signals to every vulnerable person in the country that they will be heard and protected.”
“A number of advances in safeguarding have also been developed in the adult safeguarding area, including the establishment of HIQA, which inspects residential services and centre-based respite services., the development of a HSE adult safeguarding policy in 2014, and the establishment of a HSE national safeguarding office in 2015 and regional safeguarding protection teams. The HSE published an independent review of its safeguarding policy and procedures in 2024, which led to the appointment of a HSE chief social worker for the first time. We have done a lot more but I look forward to working with my colleagues on the disability matters committee to ensure people with disabilities do not fall through the cracks. We need to close the gaps between agencies and this requires a whole-of-government approach.”
“The circumstances of her case were truly unacceptable and rightly caused great concern when they came to public attention. I am very mindful, however, that the circumstances involved extended to the 1980s 1990s and 2000s and there has been a marked change in the way we as a country operate in respect of child safeguarding, in the way vulnerable children are looked after when in the care of the State and also the manner in which vulnerable adults with disabilities are cared for in the range of services available to them. We have seen significant steps taken from the development of foster care standards to the creation of the Ombudsman for Children Office and HIQA, the establishment of Tusla and the commencement of the Children First Act 2015.”