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.”
The complete record
Every one of 646 lines we hold for Ken O'Flynn, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 13 of 13.
“I rise to discuss an issue that is extremely important in my constituency and in the adjoining one, which is the Taoiseach's constituency. It concerns an ongoing problem that I highlighted in 2021 with the help of the investigative journalism of Amy Nolan from The Echo . I refer to the condition of the water supply across the northside of Cork city and now into parts of the county as well. As the Taoiseach is well aware, the connection that was brought from Ballincollig to the old waterworks on the River Lee, which connected to the existing system, had too high a velocity. That started an ongoing problem. The pipes are rusting, breaking and are destroyed. There is a problem with flushing systems. Irish Water has continuously been flushing for the past four years on the northside.”
“For example, Cork City Council spent €400,000 on the restoration of a fireman's hut the size of a garden shed. It spent nearly €5,000 on scaffolding for a hut that is just a little bit taller than myself. It is ridiculous.”
“The big question that is coming, and which the Government is deflecting, is this: how we will staff this hospital with the rents and the prices there? Who will work in this hospital? Today I call on the Government to implement the necessary reforms of accountability in the public procurement processes. The Irish people deserve to know where their hard-earned money is going and how it is being spent. They need to have it tracked. We need to reopen a type of Benefacts that clearly provides comprehensive transparency and improves Government accountability. The other thing I want to bring to the Minister's attention is that local authorities are not available to come before the Committee of Public Accounts. They must be answerable to the Committee of Public Accounts.”
“This taxpayers' money could have been spent on education, as my colleague said, or on infrastructure, healthcare, helping the elderly, helping communities and building more houses for the people that badly need them. Yet, nobody is to blame. The additional insult is the national children's hospital project, the cost of which is now €2.2 billion to €2.5 billion and counting. This was meant to be developed for €800 million. This project has been mismanaged by the Minister's Government from the start. The Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, refused to take responsibility prior to the election, saying that although he signed the document he had nothing to do with it. Again, it is a prime example of somebody who had nobody to blame.”
“There was €250,000 spent on car charging points on the grounds of this House. Yet, nobody is to blame. Am I the only one seeing a pattern here? Let us not even start with the €9 million spent on phone pouches or the €500,000 spent by the OPW on a perimeter wall. The OPW has now affectionately been coined a new name by the general public in the pubs, clubs, restaurants and bars and on the streets of Cork: the "office of public waste". Let us remember the Hill of Tara project, with €124,160 spent on that since 2014 yielding no results. Yet again, nobody is to blame. The Arts Council spent a staggering €6.7 million on an IT system, which was wasted.”
“This is a stunning example of neglect and mismanagement, and a perfect example of two departments - procurement and facilities - not speaking to one another. Yet, nobody is to blame. In 2018 the Government purchased a printer in the Oireachtas for a whopping €800,000. This printer lay idle for ten months. It was another example of a purchase not being fit for the building. In addition, €230,000 of taxpayers' money was spent modifying the building to accommodate the equipment. Yet, nobody is to blame. We must ask how many essential services could have been funded for that money. As we look out from Leinster House we cannot overlook the €366,000 spent on the bicycle shed. Yet, nobody is to blame. There was €1.4 million spent on a security hut, yet nobody is to blame.”
“However, instead of building on the success of that, the Government chose to shut it down, investing a further €250,000 on the wind-up process. Why? It was because Benefacts dared to expose the wasteful practice that is rampant in the public sector. It allowed taxpayers to follow the money. It was a tool to enable Members of this House and the press to track where money was being spent. One thing we know for certain is that money is being spent on 372 quangos and 32,000 NGOs. That is one NGO for every 155 people in the State. The National Gallery of Ireland, for example, spent €125,000 on a scanner which was never to see the light of day because there was not a room suitable and it could not be accommodated.”
“Today I stand before the House representing the voice of the Irish taxpayer who is rightly appalled by the flagrant waste of public money on this and the previous Government's watch. Where is the accountability? Where are the checks and balances in the public procurement process? The buck stops with the Minister and his Government. Today my party has shone a light on what is an embarrassing lack of fiscal responsibility. It has become the hallmark of this Administration and the previous one, in which the Minister also served. In fairness, let us begin by recalling what was a good idea, namely, the €6 million spent on the setting up of Benefacts, which had a very short lifespan. It provided unprecedented transparency and oversight of non-profit funding.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. According to media reports, the Government will not allocate energy credits this year in the coming budget, thereby ending the cost-of-living supports package. The energy providers are introducing increases of 31 cent per day, according to SSE, or €113 per year. While the Government cites the Ukrainian war as an inflation factor, carbon credits are adding €140 per year to the average gas bill. Many elderly people are facing financial hardship. The planned pension increase this year is €12, while the Government plans to give jobseekers €450. Electricity prices have gone up 19% in the past year, according to The Irish Times , while the price of gas has gone up by 22%.”
“What are we doing about retirement villages? What are we doing about keeping people in their communities, who could, with a small bit of assisted living, still live in their communities but do not have the opportunity to downsize because there are no funds available for assisted living in the community? People are ending up in retirement homes for no reason. People are ending up having to get a huge amount of care from care services. People in large houses are having to depend on families. We are always talking about changing the housing situation and allowing people to downsize but we are not investing in small catered communities for the elderly in their own community.”
“To add more insult to injury, the Department, the Minister's predecessor and the previous Government cut the budget by 50%. An awful lot of people who were dependent on that said it was Belfast or blind for them. People cannot afford to go to Belfast now and as a result are going blind waiting four, five or six years for cataract operations. People are waiting for appointments for knee and hip surgery. It is unbelievable. This is how we are judged as a society; how we treat our elderly people. History will judge the Minister, her Department, her predecessors and this Government in a very poor light. I also want to bring to the Minister's attention how we are treating our elderly when it comes to downsizing for housing. We are talking a lot about elderly people downsizing and the fuel poverty that is there.”
“We have a situation in Mallow where we have no dentist who will take a medical card for OAPs. That is wrong. There is something seriously wrong in the dental system when an OAP cannot get on a dental list or be seen anywhere, that he or she has to travel all the way to Cork city, up to Limerick or possibly to Kerry. The cross-Border system has worked very well for us but last year, the Minister's predecessor cut the budget for eye cataract surgeries by 50%. Deputy Collins, other Deputies from Independent Ireland and I have worked continuously with cross-Border hospitals in Northern Ireland, bringing more than 2,500 people to Northern Ireland. We are glad to have that facility in Northern Ireland, but they should be able to have the operation in the Cork and Kerry region.”
“I congratulate the Minister on her new position. I wish her every success in it. A society is rated on how it treats its elderly people. How we treat our elderly people in this country beggars belief. We have people on waiting lists continuously. People are waiting two and a half years to see an eye specialist in Cork city. In my constituency of Cork North-Central, we have the Blackpool SouthDoc debacle that has been going on for the last two and a half years where we have a doctor in place who is on call. The building is meant to be open, but is continuously closed. An awful lot of the elderly people in my constituency, and around this country, cannot afford to take taxis and do not have family or friends to bring them to the other side of the city to be seen in SouthDoc out of hours.”
“They are informed that they are not in the list and that the local authority is not interested in them and cannot talk to them. That has to be addressed. We have to have training for our local authorities. Given that there is a list for disabled people or those with medical needs in city and county council areas, there equally must be a priority list for those who are victims of domestic violence to be housed to secure them and their families.”
“Therefore, they will not place women on the lists. People are continuously having to provide more information in order to prove to local authorities that they are victims of domestic violence and that they are entitled to be on a social housing list to qualify for the housing assistance payment, HAP, get out of the oppressor's way and secure accommodation for themselves and their children. That is not acceptable. Training for gardaí has been mentioned, but what about training for local authority staff and the staff of housing bodies across the country? What are they doing? Is staff training provided? Is there a national guideline on how to deal with somebody who is in a situation of domestic abuse who comes to the counter? Very often, people come to the counter and are dismissed.”
“We need to come up to and exceed what is set out in the Istanbul Convention. I also want to raise how women who have been victims of domestic violence are unrecognised by the housing authorities and local authorities. Quite often, women who are the victims of domestic violence have nowhere to go. Some of them have to return to the home where they have been violated, where their children have been abused and where they have told they will be murdered and attacked. Yet, local authorities look for more information from women and say that they are not on the emergency or priority list or that if they are at a certain desk looking for social housing, they are not on any priority list. Then, they ask questions straight out about how the woman already owns a home and, quite often, her name is down as a homeowner.”
“I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his new position. I welcome his remarks earlier, when he promised to work in a non-partisan and fair way. I have always known him to be a gentleman of that character throughout his tenure in the House and also in his private life. I welcome the many people in the Gallery who have experienced domestic violence. They have emailed us, as elected Members, and both shared their difficult experiences and enlightened us. I wish to speak about the aspect of domestic violence that remains totally unrecognised in the context of the housing problem. Women stay in refuges. We already heard that there are no refuge centres in nine counties. In the entire north Cork region from Mallow across to Fermoy, we have no refuge centre. That needs to be addressed.”
“If the Government does not build the proper infrastructure for the population - the Government uses the excuse of population over and over again - it is not addressing the population problems that need to be addressed. The Minister of State is aware of that.”
“The Minister of State is familiar with Cork in the same way as I am. We see that the public transport has failed. Approximately 60% of my constituency, Cork North Central, is rural, with little or no bus or other services available. In the cities where buses are running, they do not run on time. We are lucky if they show up at all. We are talking about infrastructure, roads and road safety. Many Members have mentioned road safety, but we are not developing the infrastructure around road safety. Where is the Mallow distributor road? Where is the northern ring road? Where is the northern distributor road? Where is the Cork to Limerick motorway? They have not been delivered. Driver safety has been discussed. Members have mentioned the number of young people in accidents.”
“Like many who told the stories around the House, I too have constituents come to me continually telling me they cannot get driving tests. Others tell me they drive their sons or daughters to university, which not only inconveniences their lives, but affects them financially, in the sense of how they get to work and plan their day. In addition, an issue that must be mentioned in this debate, which I do not think anyone has mentioned, is that in the past year, 6,016 people did not show up for their driving tests. There is something radically wrong with that as well. That has to be penalised and addressed. In Spain, it takes 12 weeks to get a driving test; in Wales, it takes 13 weeks; in France it takes an average of 12 weeks. However, here we are now being told of averages of up to 30 weeks across Dublin.”
“The Mayfield primary care occupational therapy team is supposed to have three full-time occupational therapists. This is already insufficient for the number of children who need special attention. I have been made aware that there is only one part-time therapist working on the team at this time. The current set-up is: one therapist is on maternity leave and her work is not being covered; the second left and has not been replaced; and, as stated, the third only works part time. I have also been made aware that the position in the centre when it comes to physiotherapy is exactly the same. It is hard enough to fight for one's a child. In this instance, parents are fighting on behalf of children with autism spectrum disorder. It is a kick in the teeth when the services that are meant to be provided are not there.”
“It has to be regulated and smartly approached, but there is great potential for us in government, particularly in the Department of Social Protection. Decision-making in that Department takes so long. Constituents ring me asking me whether I have any news or update on whether forms they have filled out have been checked. Of course, there has to be a human being double-checking and human judgment, but there is great potential for us in government to work far more efficiently and give value for money.”
“This was brought to my attention. I do not believe John McCarthy, who coined the phrase "artificial intelligence" at the Dartmouth conference in 1952, ever imagined AI would be at its current level. I recently visited the Jiao Tong medical hospice in Shanghai and saw the works and training of AI, its benefits, how it can improve people's studies, the amazing way the people work, and technology. Equally, we have to accept that AI has its challenges, including for jobs. Jobs will change. The Government has to start training young people to code from a very early age and making moneys available. People from five years up should be learning coding. We have seen many coding clubs in my constituency, Cork North-Central. I am very proud of the one that works in Blackpool and of seeing innovative young people able to do things. I welcome AI.”
“I rise to welcome the Minister of State to her new role. I worked with her previously with some county councillors when we were councillors together. I know she is a lady of integrity and decency. I wish her the very best of success. I have to admit that, unlike others in the House, I am not a techie, but I am very fortunate that an eight-year-old member of my family – her name is Alissia O'Flynn – who is able to turn on my television and fix my phone for me at every opportunity. Unlike the Member who is able to hide her stuff online and what she has done a deep dive into, as mentioned earlier, I do not have the talents. Having listened to this debate – I have been here for the majority of it – and to the concerns of the Members, I realise there are genuine concerns over jobs, but I regard AI as a benefit with massive potential.”
“She goes from Ballincollig to Fermoy and back again while also trying to run a household, look after and care for her other children and provide for her family. That is what people are going through and it is not being addressed. We have an old saying in life, nemo resideo , which means no one is left behind. We must ensure no child gets left behind. We must do and achieve more for our children in special needs and special needs education. This area is not being addressed. That is being echoed not just in my constituency but throughout this entire country. We must do better for the future of our children.”
“Congratulations to both Ministers on their appointments. I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this motion before the House. Having listened to this debate for the past hour and a half, the stories being recounted by many of my colleagues are the same as the stories in Cork North-Central. Parents must fight a continuing battle to get an assessment for their children and procure places for them. They then have to battle with the Department of Social Protection for domiciliary care. I could go on. I bring the attention of the House to one of my constituents who travels two hours and 40 minutes every day to bring her child to and from school. It takes me two hours and 43 minutes to travel from my house to Leinster House. The lady in question drives for that time every day to look after her child and ensure the child has a place.”
“To care for somebody is an active role that requires inner strength. The Government is not giving enough wrap-around services and we are not asking who is caring for the carers.”
“She told me she met her neighbour every day and for 22 years, he would ask, "How is John today?", but nobody ever asked, "How is Mary?" I do not think we are concentrating on the mental health and needs of those who are caring for their children, siblings or parents. I note that, according to a Healthy Ireland survey, 17% of parents who are caring for children are suffering with mental health issues. It is also worth noting that the survey reported that 15% of people who are caring for elderly parents, which is a percentage well above the international norm, have registered as having mental health problems. This is not being looked after. We must realise that people are under tremendous stress. It is not just about getting a break from looking after somebody for one week out of the 52 weeks of the year. It is a 24-7 job.”
“I welcome and congratulate both Ministers of State on their positions. From reading the reply, I note that the goal of this policy is to focus on the mental health of the whole population, which is a very welcome statement. Perhaps something that has not been addressed in this working document is the mental health of a certain sector of society, namely, carers. Who is looking after the carers? When I started in politics a long time ago - 20-something years ago - I went to a carers' conference in UCC. I listened to a lady talking about her life caring for her husband. What she said always stuck with me. In fact, it left an indelible mark.”
“In 1752, the bells of Shandon rang for the first time. In 1847, the clock mechanism was installed, with Cork Corporation and later Cork City Council being responsible for it to date. From 1847 to 1859, it was the biggest clock face in Europe. As the Taoiseach will know, it has been reported €400,000 is to be spent on the refurbishment of the Four-Faced Liar to restore this national monument, which is Shandon. Will the Taoiseach commit his Government to the application made by Cork City Council for the €400,000 funding needed for repairs? Will the Taoiseach also pass comment on the Shandon Craft Centre, which has remained empty for 16 years? In addition, the Father O'Leary Memorial Hall in Shandon Street is in the control of the LDA, which we have been told has no plans for it.”
“If you go to the hotel pools, the cost of running the club will go from €6,500 to €16,000 per month. Will the Government make additional moneys available to Cork County Council to facilitate these clubs before they close down? They will have no other option but to do so.”
“I welcome the large contingent of members of Independent Ireland from Cork North Central to the Gallery. Mallow swimming pool is closing on 1 March for nine months for upgrades. While that is a welcome decision, it causes a big problem for the community in which I live. Mallow is a large town and many people use the pool. It is important to clubs, schools and older people. For example, the Mallow Swans Swimming Club has 225 members aged seven to 19 who use the pool every day. These young people are learning to swim and training for competitions. Some of them hope to compete as Irish Olympians in the future. The problem now is that the nearest swimming pool is 30 km away. We have a nine-month delay. The pools that are available in Cork are taken up with their own clubs in the city. The only other options are hotel pools.”
“They all have their expense forms underneath their arms well filled out. I find it absolutely ridiculous that we are being misled in this House. We have been told there is a population problem. The United States, with a population of 344 million people, has only 15 secretaries of state and has a functioning government. It has not fallen apart. It is laughable, yet we have people on trolleys. We have money for these Ministers, but we do not have money to build houses or the Cork-Mallow road, children remain on waiting lists for CAMHS day in and day out, there are people on the breadline and others are waiting for stair lifts and tenant in situ applications to come through.”
“In France, there are 28 ministers and seven junior ministers servicing a population of 65 million. In Italy, there are 20 ministers and 30 junior ministers, servicing a population of 59 million. In Spain, there are 23 ministers and seven junior ministers, servicing a population of 47 million. I do not know where the population growth is and why we have to have so many ministers. The European Commission, which should be our guide, has 27 Commissioners, yet we seem to be number one at appointing and making up new roles for people. I read about what is being delivered here in the newspapers. We are talking about trips. I meet fellows that I never saw before in my life and never heard speak in the House before I was a Member. They all have their bucket and spade ready to go out for the Minister.”
“I welcome Ryan McKeown and his partner here. I have no doubt they will sit here one day. They are welcome to Leinster House. I turned on the TV recently in my house and purely by chance saw a rerun of "Oprah". I immediately saw what happened in the programme for Government. Instead of it being "You get a car, you get a car", it was "You get a ministry, you get a ministry, you get a ministry and you get a ministry". What a fantastic day to give out Ministries. Our Taoiseach told us that the Government needs to appoint more Ministers because we have a growing population, but we have a population of 5.1 million. There are 174 TDs in the House. Some 21% of the Dáil will be made up of Ministers. The population of Germany is 84 million, and there are 16 senior ministers and six junior ministers in the Reichstag. That is 3.1% of the Parliament.”
“How can we have a situation where we have drinking water that people cannot drink in the northside of Cork city? We need a commitment of €500 million for that and the Government is simply ignoring it. If it happened on the southside of the city, would it have been ignored? We also have the event centre. We have had five taoisigh since there was a sod turning.”
“My colleague spoke about Shannon Airport but what about Cork Airport? What about the commitment to provide money to remove the old terminal and expand the airport to open up flights to the United States? What about the commitment that was given over and over again by the Cork politicians on the southside of the city who occupy the Government benches to knock the building and extend the runway to be able to berth more planes overnight? That has not been fixed. We now recognise that over €500 million has to be spent on the drinking water system in Cork city. Water in the northside is brown. This has been discussed in the House by my colleagues on a number of occasions and it has continuously been ignored. It is not mentioned once in the programme for Government.”
“From Little Island to Ballincollig and from Blackpool to Mallow in my constituency, people cannot afford to rent properties. You are talking about €2,000, €2,300 or €2,700 to rent a property in Cork if you are lucky enough to find something to rent. That not has been addressed in this document. The Government has not addressed the cost of living either. We all accept that everything, from fuel to food, is getting more expensive but this Government is doing nothing. It will say in the programme for Government that it will increase by €12. The Taoiseach then came out yesterday and said he would cut the cost-of-living supports. The Government is doing exactly what it has done before - robbing Peter and paying Paul - but it has not mentioned the northern ring road, the Cork to Limerick motorway or the Mallow relief road.”
“I will talk about the programme of Government 2025 vis-à-vis my city and constituency of Cork North-Central. To my mind, this plan does not go far enough. With the exception of Luxembourg, Ireland is the richest country in the European Union but the plan does not show ambition. It does not go far enough for the people of Cork and certainly does not go far enough for the people of Cork North-Central. Regarding the housing crisis and the housing emergency we are in, this Government says it will build 300,000 houses by 2030. That may sound good but where is that plan, as my colleague has said? Where is the infrastructure? What about the people who are homeless, the 15,000 people who are sleeping rough in this country tonight, 4,500 of whom are children? This plan is farcical.”
“We are compounding the problem and bringing more people back onto our housing list. We are not addressing it. We are too busy. Parties in this Chamber are too busy attacking one another, looking for publicity rather than trying to fix the crisis. For God's sake lads, you are a disgrace.”
“-----without shouting one another down - that will do nothing for the father living in his car tonight, depending on Wi-Fi from a hotel while working 50 hours a week. It is not going to help the constituent who came to my office last week, who spoke to me about the full-time job he is doing and yet living out of a car. It is not helping the mother in Cork city who is going into the housing department to be told, "Sorry, there is nothing for you, go into a homeless crisis centre with your children". It is not going to help those couples who lost their houses between 2008 and 2014, are now back in employment after losing their businesses, renting privately and can afford to pay the rent but are approaching the age of 65. What will happen when they retire? They will be back on the housing list.”
“In my constituency of Cork North-Central, my constituents are struggling with rising rents, long waiting lists and lack of accommodation. People are talking about who we are going to blame. Ae we going to blame Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Independents but until we get together in this House and work on solving this crisis without blaming or attacking one another-----”
“-----but it does not want to explain how it will be replaced. Will it increase taxes or simply borrow more? I listened to some of the Labour Party speakers. One would almost think Labour was not in the Government in the last couple of years but the Labour Party held the portfolio not so long ago.”
“I am disappointed I see the Government benches are so empty today but equally those who waxed lyrical not so long ago in this House, who chastised the Government in their speeches, I see their benches are also empty for what is the biggest crisis facing this country. While I agree we need to fix the housing crisis, the plan put forward by the Labour Party - I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing this motion forward - is based on what I regard as bad ideas. The Labour Party wants to remove the private investor from housing-----”
“A generation of people will never own their own homes thanks to this Government and 20 years of Fine Gael, being backed up, in one form or another, by Fianna Fáil. This house that has been built and that has had a slap of paint over it has been reinforced by a set of Independents with a serious crack in their foundation.”
“I congratulate the Government and the newly appointed Ministers. This is a special day for them and their families. The Government that has been presented to us tonight is like a shabby, broken down house that has had a slap of paint thrown over it. The hope is that it will all be fine on the night, lads. That is what this Government is. I read the programme for Government. I thought I would be in for a long night's reading. I was shocked to find out that this programme for Government is a copy of the previous programme for Government. This Government is out with the same and back in with the same. The Government has ignored the fact that 15,000 people will be homeless tonight and that 611 people are on hospital trolleys as we speak. People are living in boxrooms in their parents' houses.”