Ken O'Flynn
Cork North-Central · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“The Government has not addressed school uniform problems or the fact that most parents have to pay €300 for a PE kit. It has not addressed the problem that parents have to give this voluntary contribution, which is really not voluntary when schools are putting out news bulletins listing the names of families who have contributed and those…”
“Every one of us knows from our own constituencies that laptops, iPads and tablets are being used regularly by order of boards of management. I have to acknowledge the Government's good work and call it out, including the free books scheme and the school meals. However, the Government has made a hames of the school meals.”
“Like many of the stories the Minister of State has heard today in the House, it is not strange that we have constituents coming to us regularly saying the biggest fear they have is the postman's knock.”
“We should all be inside here hanging our heads in shame about how we are treating people. Just go outside the gate and the Minister of State will see Cara Darmody outside Leinster House again, highlighting a law that the Government has been breaking for over 20 years. What was the Taoiseach's answer to me yesterday?”
“I am sure the Taoiseach will join me in welcoming Christy Hussey and Conor Burke to the Public Gallery. Since this morning, a 15-year-old child has been sitting in protest outside the gates of Leinster House. Cara Darmody is highlighting the fact that the State breaking its own law.”
“It is reported that half of the women murdered in the Kingdom of Spain this year were killed by foreign nationals. Across the Continent, governments have opened their doors and lost control of their borders. When their own citizens stand up and take notice, these governments lecture them and call them far-right for calling them out.”
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“However, we could start using the services of these people who are accredited and who have been teaching people how to drive for the past number of years or for the entirety of their careers. That should be allowed to happen, regardless of whether a guy is a driving instructor in Mallow and is testing someone in Cork or a guy from Cork is testing someone in Mallow. The reality is that the current system is not working. Every TD has told the Minister of State that. Everyone has said the same thing over and over again today. So something is wrong. Something is broken. Families are being discommoded continuously. Young people who cannot get to college are delaying taking up their courses and so on. What is happening is unacceptable. We are going to have to think outside the box a little.”
“I almost feel sorry for the Ceann Comhairle because she is hearing the same story over and over again from every Deputy who has spoken. The Minister of State, Deputy Jerry Buttimer, and I share a constituency in Cork. He will be aware that 39 weeks is the average waiting time. We seem to be a country of waiting lists. We are very good at creating waiting lists and long waits for everybody. Families are being discommoded. It is not working. The RSA is not fulfilling its duty. There was a suggestion made by other speakers - those on the Government benches made it as well - that we start issuing licences to those who teach people to drive to qualify them as testers. This would not mean that the driving instructor who gave a person their 12 lessons would give them their licence.”
“It is of great consequence for traders in the city when such a perception is out there and when long-standing elected members from the Taoiseach's party are saying the city is unsafe. We have to address that.”
“It is related in the Irish Examiner that, at a meeting of Cork City Council last Monday evening, a number of councillors stated that Cork city is a no-go area and that there are parts of the city that you cannot go into. Another councillor, Seán Martin, stated that we have to take back our city. Does the Taoiseach agree with his Fianna Fáil colleagues on Cork City Council that the city is now unsafe and that it is a dangerous city in which people do not feel safe? Is he willing to put together a task force as he did for Dublin in May 2024? Is he willing to provide finance to the city to allow An Garda Síochána to put extra police on the street? I would like to hear his opinion. Does he believe that Cork city, the city that we share and which we love, is unsafe for the general public?”
“I commend my colleagues in the House on bringing this Bill through. I ask Government to look at it again and not to object to it for the sake of objecting because it is coming from this side of the House. There is a lot of merit in this.”
“We see every day in our shopping basket how difficult it is to make ends meet. Government has to stand up and take notice. It has to listen. There is a tremendous amount of merit in this Bill. There are positives in this Bill. The Minister spoke about PRSI and tips and movement on that, which is important to note because I do not understand. I can hand over cash to somebody, for instance, a €50 tip, in a restaurant in Dublin tonight, or in Cork, but most of us are now tapping. That is the reality of life. That then has to go through the system. PRSI has to be paid on that. All the accounting has to be done on that if the worker gets it, so the €50 is no longer €50. However, if you hand over cash there is an exemption in the law already. Things like that need to be recognised and regulated.”
“That is work that is beneficial to the running of an organisation and to keeping an organisation happy. When you look at mainland Europe, we are miles behind equity when it comes to trade unions. Look at what is happening right across Europe. You see the workers' rights there, particularly around bullying in the workplace. On the living wage and pension auto-enrolment, I understand why the Government has rowed back on that. I get it because it is difficult for businesses. It is difficult with tariffs coming down the line, but that should not be happening at the expense of the worker, at the expense of the person on the ground. As has been mentioned in this House, there are many people working day in, day out doing everything right, but living below the bread line.”
“I think they were fair and accurate, in particular when she spoke about how workers in Debenhams were let down by their trade union. I commend her on bringing that up in the House. I see the importance not only of money in the work trade unions do. It is also about the continuous bullying that goes on in a workplace. If you do not have the trade unions behind you, or if you do not have somebody to go to, it is very difficult and the workplace can be a lonely place. I do not think we put enough emphasis on the work trade unions do in sorting out, not big industrial actions, but the small negotiations and conversations between the union rep - the person on the ground - and the management team and getting cohesion before it ever escalates. That is work that goes unseen.”
“I am impressed to hear the amount of credentials and the trade union members elected here, but unlike many of my colleagues I have never been a member of a trade union. I was employed while in college in the United Kingdom doing basic work behind bars and the rest of it. I never had an opportunity to join a trade union. I was self-employed. I ran bars and restaurants in Spain. I did not have an opportunity to get involved. I think I was a good employer as well. I then worked for a multinational company. I value the work of trade unions and I believe trade unions are an integral part of large organisations in particular. We can look at Dunnes Stores and hear the stories Deputy Coppinger spoke about and they are true. I have to commend Deputy Coppinger on the comments she made in the House today.”
“Deputy Paul Murphy - To discuss the need for a public inquiry into conduct in care facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Deputy Cathy Bennett - To discuss services available in Monaghan Hospital. Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss a public inquiry for conduct in care facilities during Covid-19. The matters raised by Deputies Rose Conway-Walsh, Padraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty, Danny Healy-Rae, Shane Moynihan, Eoghan Kenny and Cathy Bennett have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Pearse Doherty - To discuss the need to make the increase in the cap for the defective block grant scheme available to all homeowners availing of the scheme. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the provision of the new Coast Guard building at Courtown Harbour, County Wexford. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the review of the basic income for the arts scheme. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss the ambulance service in County Clare and planned changes to shifts. Deputy Liam Quaide - To discuss plans for beneficiaries of temporary protection currently residing in County Cork. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss extending access to the Laura Brennan HPV catch-up vaccination programme. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the closure of the tenant in situ scheme in Cork city.”
“Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss water and wastewater infrastructure in Dublin. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss plans to reform the system for the appointment of coroners. Deputies Rose Conway-Walsh, Padraig Mac Lochlainn and Pearse Doherty - To discuss amendments to the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022. To discuss the need to bring amendments to the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss the need for security personnel on public transport services in north Dublin during evening hours. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss the implication the new GAEC 2 rules will have for farmers in many parts of County Kerry.”
“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 Michael Cahill - To discuss wages of early childhood educators and staff shortages. Deputy Eoghan Kenny - To discuss multi-annual funding for residential placements for adults with disabilities. Deputy Brian Brennan - To discuss discrepancies in the rate of housing assistance payment limits between local authorities. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss route finalisation on the Lucan Luas project. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss ongoing issues relating to water pressure and supply in Kildare North. Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the need for a new taxi or hackney licence to service rural Ireland.”
“We need to listen to the developers, get the people in the right places, move on Irish Water, get the infrastructure built and just do it. I am sick to death of coming to debates here, week after week, with Members saying this, that and the other. The Minister's own TDs are saying it to him. He knows it himself. We have to just get it done. We have to move and stop talking about it.”
“Why the hold-up with the Mallow relief road and the northern distributor road? Where is the infrastructure? We have all identified it: north, south, east and west. I find it ironic that a number of Members come into this House and you would swear to God they never held a portfolio when they go around, pretending they are Mighty Mouse in Leinster House and Mickey Mouse down in their own constituency. It is about time we started doing something about it and working together. Let us get off the pot. We are at a stage where we have identified the problems with Irish Water and with planning permission but we are not achieving or doing anything. We are talking and talking and going around in circles. It is like the Mad Hatter's tea party inside here, with nothing being done. We just need to get to work.”
“I have to agree with my colleagues. The story Michael Collins tells about west Cork is exactly the same as the story we see in Cork North-Central. We cannot build a single home in Carrignavar because there is no water treatment plant. The infrastructure in Glanmire - which is in my constituency, which is the location of the parish I was born in and which is where I got my biggest vote in the last local election - is over-facilitated with housing estate after housing estate being built and no infrastructure being delivered. I thank my colleagues in Sinn Féin for bringing this up. We are going round continuously on this treadmill and talking about the lack that exists. Ministers are identifying it. We are all talking about it and have all identified where the problems and hold-ups lie. They relate to planning permission and Irish Water.”
“It was almost the case that they had focus on going to university or college. I say that as somebody who represents a constituency where we have UCC, MTU, Cork College of Commerce, St. John's College, Griffith College and the Tyndall Institute. I am extremely proud of that but, equally, in this city we have a company call Trade Path, which is trying to get people into apprenticeships and make them accessible. While, in fairness, apprenticeships have moved on and been somewhat improved under this Government and that which preceded it, we have to look at apprenticeships in the catering sector. An electrician in this sector can go off and get paid by the State, but a hotel will have to pay for its catering apprentices.”
“I offer my congratulations to the Minister and Minister of State. I have not had the opportunity to do so in the Chamber previously. I note a statement here to the effect that many of the skills of today did not exist yesterday and that many of the skills of tomorrow do not exist today. That is very true. It is the reality of life. When it comes to research and development, perhaps we are not as advanced as we would like to think. There has to be a bigger focus on that. Equally, as my colleague from Tipperary stated earlier, a number of apprenticeships have been closed off to people for years. "Apprenticeship" was almost a dirty word in second level education when some young fella or young lady wanted to go off and become a plumber, an electrician, a builder or whatever.”
“Will the Government commit to making accredited suicide prevention training, such as skills training on risk management, STORM, mandatory for all staff, both clinical and support, in secure mental health units? Will the Taoiseach support the establishment of an independent investigation into all suicides in these facilities and ensure transparency, accountability and justice for the families?”
“I am sure the Taoiseach will join me in welcoming the Meany family from the Lower Glanmire Road and Ballyvolane to the Public Gallery. As reported by RTÉ and the Irish Examiner , a HSE inquest issued an apology on Tuesday, 29 April for the death almost six years ago of Mr. Anthony Hennessy of Mallow, County Cork, in a room in St. Stephen's Hospital in Glanmire near Cork city. On 25 November 2019, Anthony died by suicide in an HSE-run secure mental health unit. His death while under the care of the State is not only tragic but is a damning reflection of the broken system. The HSE, in its own review, identified its failures, yet suicide prevention training remains optional rather than mandatory for staff in these high-risk settings.”
“Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss SET allocation hours in Castlegregory primary school. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the reasons Ireland approves so few new cancer drugs in comparison with EU counterparts. Deputy Matt Carthy - To discuss the provision of disability services in County Monaghan. Deputy Cathy Bennett - To discuss the provision of services at Monaghan Hospital. Deputy Martin Kenny - To discuss the implications of the good agricultural environmental condition, GAEC, 2 scheme. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the mandatory wearing of skorts in camogie. Deputies David Cullinane and Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss funding requirements for the Waterford Airport extension. The matters raised by Deputies John Brady, Danny Healy-Rae, Pádraig O'Sullivan, John Clendennen and Gary Gannon have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss delays in driving tests in Killarney and Tralee. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the decision of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to halt special education classes in south Tipperary. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss the introduction of the new fare zones to the public transport system. Deputy John Clendennen - To discuss the provision of educational grants for recognised competitions in extracurricular activities. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss a review of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015. Deputy John Brady - To discuss the N11-M11 bus priority interim scheme. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the need for greater support for Irish aid agencies working abroad. Deputy Conor Sheehan - To discuss the roll-out of BusConnects Limerick.”
“Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss the number of children currently awaiting a public dental assessment in Louth. Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss the barriers faced by people on work permits to obtain family reunification visas. Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss an application under the additional schools accommodation scheme from Scoil Ballinora, County Cork. Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss proposals to move Cashel and Carrick-on-Suir District Court sittings to Clonmel. Deputy Seamus Healy - To discuss granting the right to family reunion to all stamps 1 and 4 holders in full-time employment. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss waiting times for hip operations. Deputy Paul Murphy - To discuss family reunification. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin - To discuss the case of CJ Gaffney.”
“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 Michael Cahill - To discuss the need to bring the national secondary road, the Ring of Kerry, up to standard. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss the lack of crèche places in areas of growing population in Kildare North. Deputy Eamon Scanlon - To discuss issues within the orthopaedic department of Sligo University Hospital. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the basic income scheme for artists. Deputies Rose Conway-Walsh, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Pearse Doherty and Donna McGettigan - To discuss the increase in the cap for the defective block grant scheme. Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the need for a family resource centre in Cabra.”
“We need action. We need prosecutions, dismissals and to stop the culture of cover-up that plagues this State again and again. If we fail to act and if we allow this to become another report, another scandal, and yet another flippant apology, we are no better than those who looked away. The victims deserve justice, the whistleblowers deserve vindication, and the public deserve a government that does its job.”
“This is not an admission of a lack of oversight. It is a political decision, a political culture that prioritises the reputation of a Department over people's lives. The report shields senior management from scrutiny and punishes those who spoke the truth. This culture is shameful, unforgiving and it must end now. The Government has no right to claim surprise. The red flags were there for everyone to see. The alarm bells were ringing for years, yet nothing at all has changed, because it was easier to sacrifice the vulnerable than to confront the powerful. Therefore, I say to the Government, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and to the Minister who is present: they do not get to wring their hands in sorrow. They were warned. They were told and they have done nothing. Let us not insult the Irish people with soft words and promises.”
“The final report is not just a catalogue of failure, it is a national disgrace. Let us be clear: this did not happen in the shadows. This happened in the full view of the State, with the knowledge of senior officials and successive governments, which chose to turn a blind eye. What this report exposes is not just incompetence; it is complicity. Children and vulnerable adults were failed again and again, not because they did not know, but because those in power did not care enough to act. Whistleblowers were silenced and not supported. Front-line staff were ignored and not empowered. Instead of accountability we got obstruction, denial and extreme cowardice. Where was the Government and the Ministers? They were sitting on their hands, watching it happen and protecting the system instead of protecting the people they were meant to protect.”
“Europe needs reminding that member states are partners, not provinces. We must have the right to question, opt in and opt out. Ireland must be put first in agriculture, fisheries and when it comes to the Mercosur deal. As the Government raises its glass today to the European Union, we must keep that in mind.”
“On Europe Day, we mark a bold vision, born from the ashes of war, of peace, co-operation and prosperity between nations that once stood divided. I am a proud pro-European. I believe in nations working together, not tearing each other down. Let that not be confused with blind obedience to Brussels. This Europe is not the dream we signed up to back in the seventies. We see consequences of remote policymaking every day across Europe. Ireland is bearing the brunt of a significant refugee crisis, spending approximately €1.9 billion last year on something that should be handled better by the EU. Communities are stretched beyond capacity and the Government seems to be more concerned with pleasing EU mandarins than protecting Irish services and Irish cohesion. This is not what co-operation looks like; this is capitulation.”
“Last week, my city of Cork was struck by a deep tragedy with the loss of a young man, Luke Hyde, who got into difficulty swimming in the River Lee. What makes the loss more horrifying to his friends and family is the fact that many people stood by filming and then shared footage on social media. While Coco’s Law rightly criminalises the sharing of intimate images without consent there is currently no legal protection to prevent the sharing of videos of someone in their final moments. It is time we introduced a Luke’s Law, a compassionate law with common sense. Will the Minister and the Government commit to delivering legislation that will cover this during the lifetime of this Dáil?”
“Only 200 houses can be built in my home parish in Blarney because Irish Water is refusing to put a water treatment plant there. We cannot build one house in Carrignavar for the next five to ten years because we have no water treatment plant. We have a ghost estate there that cannot be redeveloped because we cannot get water to the estate. We have people with land all over Cork who want to put individual houses there for their children. This would take them out of the housing market so they would not be competing against some couples who do not have that opportunity. Yet we are not doing anything on that.”
“BusConnects is dictating what can be achieved in our cities. From Ballyviniter down to Carrignavar and over to Grenagh, we do not have orbital buses. You cannot get an orbital bus in Mallow at the moment. We have not built the Mallow distributor road. How can we talk about counterbalanced cities? Bear in mind that Cork was only mentioned 94 times in this report, which is meant to be the counterbalance to the capital city, Dublin. There is a counterbalance problem in Cork, full stop. The north side is deprived of a northern distributor road, of a northern ring road, of a Mallow distributor road, and a Cork to Limerick motorway. How can we really start developing the southern city as a capital until we have these in place? I put it to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, that Irish Water is dictating continuously.”
“I would like to acknowledge the presence in the Public Gallery of my good friends, Paul Lenihan and Richie Herlihy. I invite the Ceann Comhairle to Cork to dine at Richie's restaurant, which is a food truck. He has the best battered sausage in Cork. I know for a fact that you too can have a body like this. I welcome the report but I feel there are lots of holes in it. In fact the entire planning framework itself has difficulties from top to bottom. I heard Members from the Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael benches saying that it is now up to the local authorities to implement these plans that are being put together, but it is not. The Government has restricted the powers of the local authorities continuously, year after year. Irish Water is now dictating what can be done. The National Transport Authority, NTA, is dictating what can be done.”
“We need a health service where patients come before bureaucracy, where accountability is real and where failures are not rewarded by promotion but punished by removals. Our children deserve a health service built on care, not yet another cover-up. The people of Ireland deserve leadership built on courage and not cowardice. This Government again stands condemned for its incompetence, and not just that but by its indifference to the people it serves.”
“The truth is hard but clear - this Government cannot manage, supervise or protect the health of those who need it most. When the health service descends into negligence and children's lives are treated with reckless indifference, more than just reviews are needed. The full board must resign. We must stop the spin and start the sacking. The excuses must stop and there must be consequences. We are governed by men and women who will move heaven and earth to save their reputations but who will do nothing when it comes to the suffering of innocent children. That is a hallmark of successive Governments that have grown bloated, tired and indifferent to the people they have been elected to serve.”
“We are facing not just a mishap or a misunderstanding but a national scandal that strikes at the heart of the public trust and exposes yet again the rotten foundation of the Government management of the health service. Innocent, vulnerable, trusting children were subjected to unnecessary surgeries. This is not a statistic; lives and futures have been irreversibly damaged under the supposed guardianship of this State. As this unfolded, the Government was yet again asleep at the wheel, blind to the warning signs and deaf to the cries of parents who dared to question the system. This Government's response has been shameful, slow, evasive and dripping of the cowardice of those more concerned with covering their own backs than defending the welfare of children.”
“This is mismanagement that is serious, systemic and utterly shameful. The public demand more than just an apology. They demand action and accountability. We must have a proper investigation, not run by insiders or for political convenience, but a real, fearless examination of what has gone wrong and who exactly is responsible. Not one more scandal must be buried, not one more child must be failed and not one more family left to fight alone. The measure of a country is how it treats its vulnerable. Today, that measure of this Government and this country stands condemned.”
“I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their statements, but after what has happened at Children's Health Ireland statements are not enough. Questions need to be answered. Children were harmed, families were failed and trust was shattered by this Government. For the Minister to offer only words today, she should be subject to questions in the Dáil, and answer those questions that arose during this debate alone. Independent Ireland has said plainly that this is not just a failure of hospitals and the HSE; it is a failure of Government. It is a failure of Government oversight and leadership. While families were crying out for help, the State turned away. While warning signs flashed red, those in charge chose delay over duty and confusion over clarity. This is not just misfortune.”
“However, the pause on new applications to the scheme will have a detrimental effect, particularly on the 28 families to which I refer. Will the Taoiseach speak to his housing tzar or his Minister and secure this €13 million for Cork City Council?”
“How can this Government stand over the defunding of Cork City Council through the shutdown of the 2024 social housing acquisition programme, leaving 28 families, some of whom have elderly or disabled members and some of whom are living with young children with special needs, at immediate risk of homelessness? Under Circular 11/2025, the Department allocated just €20 million to Cork City Council despite a project need of €33 million. That is a shortfall of €13 million. This leaves uncertainty and possible homelessness for a number of people in the city the Taoiseach and I share. In 2024, over a third of homelessness prevention in Cork came from the tenant in situ scheme. That scheme has been absolutely fantastic, and I praise the Government for the work that has been done on it.”
“Labour was the party that introduced water charges on the first day and stood over them. I say "Well done" to the Labour Party for finally going into reverse gear and accepting that it is responsible for the monster that is Irish Water.”
“It is an extra charge that we could do without. Let us consider the situation for people who are buying new houses. Builders and developers will tell you that the connection charge is, on average, €6,000 to €7,000 for a three-bedroom semi-detached house. Whether we like it or not, people are paying water charges by paying that serious connection charge. I dealt with a man in Blackpool who was restoring a house that had not been used for 25 years. Irish Water rang him and said it would supply the water connection at a cost of €3,500. The house was less than half a metre from the connection point. It is unbelievable and impossible to justify that sort of connection fee for a property. On the northside of the city, it has been going on for four years. It is unacceptable. I am delighted that the Labour Party has gone into reverse gear.”
“Cork City Council in its most recent development plan had to reduce, rezone and dezone lands because Irish Water came along and said it was calling the shots and nothing will be built in Blarney for the next ten or 15 years because it will not put in a pumping station. "Tough on ye, lads" we were told. I do not know how we are going to solve the housing problem if we cannot build a house. I have been living in Mallow for the past 20 years. My colleagues in the Labour Party spoke earlier about Mallow and its hard water. That has been going on for years. We do not have a grant or any system in place. Everyone in my estate, including me, has had to purchase water softening products, pumps and other things that go under the sink. It costs, on average, €1,500. Mallow is a working-class town. We are not all millionaires.”
“I would like to tell the Minister of State that this is an isolated incident, but on the north side of the city, we have been told by Irish Water that we need a Government investment of half a billion euro to stop the Guinness-like water coming out of people's taps. That is what it told us. Then, when we asked how long it will take if we get Irish Water the €500 million from the Minister and the Minister commits to the project, we were told 90 years at the current pace. It would take 90 years to correct Victorian water pipes on the northside of the city. A little bit outside the city in my constituency is Carrignavar where there is no water connection. A ghost estate that has been there since 2008 cannot be connected because Irish Water will not connect it. My own home parish, where my mother and father live, is Blarney.”
“I will give the Minister of State a very good example of what happened in my constituency, which I raised in the House not so long ago. For five days, the people of Ballyvolane in Cork city were left without water. They were given code number after code number and reference number after reference number. Not one tanker came up to help the people of the northside in Ballyvolane. Not one bottle of water was delivered. There were children without water and people without showers and those who could not put on their washing machines or wash, cook, etc. That is unacceptable in this day and age.”
“I have sat in this Chamber for almost the last two hours listening to this debate. I thought what was happening in Cork city and in my constituency was an isolated incident, but I am sharing the same concerns as people from County Wexford and all over the country who have the same problems I am incurring every day. First, we have to admit that Irish Water is not fit for purpose. It is not a people-driven organisation. It is answerable to no one. It has become almost like a company operating outside the State, not answerable to the Minister or to anybody. People ring the Oireachtas line for Irish Water and they are given a logging number. That line operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, they are sent to the ordinary telephone line, but they are actually speaking to the same person.”
“The main business of Mohsin Manzoor Hospitality Limited is in providing accommodation for international protection applicants, the very system he is living under himself. Does the Government believe-----”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. As highlighted last month on "The Neil Prendeville Show" on RedFM, can the Taoiseach explain how it is acceptable for a man who identifies himself as Sarabjit Singh - my Hindi is not very good - is now registered at two addresses in Mallow, County Cork, under the State-funded international protection system and appears to be quite a successful businessman? Mr. Singh owns 20% of a hospitality company, Mohsin Manzoor Hospitality Limited, with a turnover that jumped from €25,000 to €900,000 in the past nine months. He is also linked to two other properties in which he owns a 20% share, which have €150,000 outstanding to Revenue with a collection debt on that. He also owns a luxury home in Cork with a pool.”
“We need a government which needs to see the storm coming. We need a government that is strong from the outset, that sees the storm coming and gets to work, and not a government that stands there soaked and surprised when the rain starts. Let me be direct to the Irish people watching this debate today and to the fellow Members. This Government had its time, it had its warning and it did nothing. The people of Ireland deserve better, better planning, better protection and better leadership. This is our economy, our jobs and our future and it should not be gambled away by a Government asleep at the wheel. We in Independent Ireland support this motion but, more importantly, we in Independent Ireland support a vision of Ireland that is prepared, ambitious and brave, not slow, not scared and not stuck.”
“We must support them immediately, not fix this in six months and not announce something for them in the budget. We must do it now. I commend the Minister, Deputy Burke, who yesterday brought in some emergency measures but they do not go far enough by any means. We need to cut costs for real and slash our energy costs, fix our planning delays and reduce the amount of red tape across this country. I believe we have far more red tape in this country than any of our European counterparts. We must not just talk about competitiveness but we must actually fight for it in the new markets that are emerging. We must invest in resilience, housing, clean energy and public transport. These are not just side projects of Government but are the backbone of any stable economy, if history has taught us anything.”