Linda Nelson Murray
Industrial and Commercial Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“Navan hospital always needs to be strengthened, not sidelined. We need investment in that to grow with the population that is growing in Meath, and that Meath people have a hospital that grows with their needs and does not fall behind. I am discussing this with the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.”
“The Irish Cancer Society is in the news today. We met its representatives last week and had a very good engagement over in Buswells Hotel where they were giving us some numbers. I wanted to home in on bowel cancer. There are 2,500 people diagnosed with bowel cancer each year in Ireland.”
“We have had amazing debates in here from all sides of the Chamber. Everybody, without a shadow of a doubt, is a pleasure to work with. We can achieve things together whether we are in opposition or in government. I thank everybody. It is really nice to come in to the Chamber and I look forward to it every Tuesday.”
“I thank everybody in that group, particularly the Senators in this Chamber who worked on the group, because it is a day to be acknowledged. Hopefully, we will see it come through quickly. I want to follow on from that by asking the Leader to speak to the Minister, Deputy Calleary, who is working very hard on a baby loss register.”
“Senator Nicole Ryan and I, with other Senators, including Senators Patricia Stephenson, Tom Clonan and Evanne Ní Chuilinn, and many TDs - it was a complete cross-party Oireachtas group - came together and have been working on how to actually do this over the last year. Today is a very positive day for all of us in our group.”
“It was about a year ago that we had a very emotive debate in the House when Senator Nicole Ryan brought suggestions for a Bill on miscarriage leave. I was on this side of the House. It was very hard to actually be debating it when I think everybody in this House wanted to see something like that happen.”
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“Today's Central Bank report shows that motor insurance premiums increased by 9% in the first half of last year. In fact, since 2022, premiums have risen by approximately €70. That is without the recommendation from the Judicial Council to increase awards by 17%. I will explain to those who might not understand what this is. In Ireland, we have a set of personal injury guidelines that we implemented three and a half years ago. The reason we did this is we were an outlier compared with other countries: our awards were 50% to 100% higher. This meant that insurance companies paid out more and people were more likely to claim for small injuries. We then implemented guidelines that reduced these awards. Think how hard it is to get young people insured and to get insured after a claim.”
“I keep talking about it and about the increase in premiums for businesses and community groups and community centres, but this is another way that premiums will increase if we do not sort out defamation. I welcome this Bill and I am sure the 300,000 or more people who work in the retail sector will also welcome it. However, I would like to see the term "retail worker" also encompass hospitality and leisure industry workers as well as every other person who works in the service industry.”
“They will literally put stuff in their pocket, they will make sure you see them and then they will go round the back of the shop or ... a corner [of the shop] ... they'll ... [put] the item onto a shelf ... hoping that you challenge them, so you learn to be very careful to watch for those situations ... but where we are 100% sure, we will stop [them] at the door. The reason I am bringing up this particular point is that it is another way that retailers are losing money and where staff are being abused for accusing someone of shoplifting, and it petrifies both the owner and the retailer to say anything in the first place. From this Bill, therefore, we need to bring forward a strong, tight defamation Bill. As everyone in the House knows, I am passionate about everything to do with insurance.”
“Only on Monday on the Joe Duffy show - I am not sure if the Minister got to hear it - numerous shopkeepers were on speaking about shoplifting and the huge costs it has on businesses. One shop owner had five stores and said on average, approximately €50,000 per year is stolen while another said up to €100,000. One shop owner said they physically put themselves between thieves and the door and they still pass the tills. A huge issue now for these particular retail workers is accusing a person of shoplifting, getting a tirade of abuse and finally getting sued for defamation. I will read a quote one of the store owners: You have to be incredibly careful because a lot of people now are pretending to steal in the shop so ... they can go for a defamation case. That has become a very common ploy in last 12 months. ...”
“They knew they were barred and the girls were trying to take them out of the store and as they were leaving she tried to close the door and one ran at it and smashed it in. "You just don't know what they will do next - if they will pick up a of piece of glass and throw it at you.” When retailers were asked for their top two additional supports that would be most helpful to them when dealing with the impact of retail crime on their business, 27% said legal reform for stricter penalties and 29% said an increase in Garda presence. I believe the two combined would be very impactful. I am hearing staff are becoming fearful to work in stores due to more aggressive thefts and physical threats to staff. Sadly, I have heard of other customers who simply look on when a member of staff is being abused by a thief.”
“The reason I say targeted is due to there being all female staff. These thugs threatened and smashed glass onto the staff. "The girls working there were absolutely terrified and honestly, so are many others working in the area. "This isn’t just about one incident, it’s about how unsafe ... [the town] has become due to the actions of a small group of young criminals who have no respect for businesses, workers or the community. No one should have to fear for their safety just for doing their job. "We need more protection, more accountability, and real action to stop this from happening again. It’s time to stand together and make Navan safe again." [...] She said they have had so many incidents with the same group of young lads yet they are just getting away with it. “These lads want a reaction.”
“The issue is not with its support but the lack of numbers of gardaí to deal with issues and the lack of punishment for offenders, which is what we are talking about today. I spoke to people in one small shop in Navan - it must be open about 40 years, a lovely family business that is a little clothing shop - who have always run the shop with one staff member but now two are required. Unfortunately, it is not because it is extra busy selling lots of clothes but to keep each other safe. Another shop owner said they live in constant fear of their staff being injured. Is that not a very sad reality? The following extract is from the Meath Chronicle in March, regarding a much-loved local shop in Navan where a worker wrote the following: "This evening my place of work in Navan was targeted and violently smashed in by three young men.”
“It is especially concerning in towns like Navan, which has seen a crime high in 20 years, and Trim, which has seen a crime high in six years, when we have the lowest number of gardaí per capita in County Meath. In its report on retail crime for November 2024, Retail Excellence said smaller towns such as Navan reported significant shoplifting and staff abuse. It also found security measures are proving less effective as criminals act openly and without fear. I know this is not news to the Minister and that the Government is working on it, but it is important for me to point these things out. Astonishingly, repeat offenders are a real problem, with many coming back and robbing or abusing staff on the same day. Some 68% of retailers did not feel supported by the Garda, but it is not the Garda's fault.”
“According to a survey by Retail Excellence Ireland, 20% of retailers experience crime daily - that is one in five every day - and 41% experience it weekly. However, 60% reported abuse of their staff. Imagine coming into work to work hard for yourself and, perhaps, your family, and just because you are doing your job, you are verbally or perhaps physically abused. I had one ice cream shop owner in Navan tell me of how his staff were abused almost weekly and, in fact, one of his staff was spat at in the face. There is growing aggression and violence towards staff, with perpetrators showing little fear of the consequences of gardaí, which is very concerning.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. I echo my colleague that the Minister has got off to a fantastic start and we are delighted to have him here in the Chamber. I represent Meath West where there are a huge number of businesses across many of our towns, such as Trim, Navan, Oldcastle, and many of our villages. I am also a business owner in Navan. I am in the leisure hospitality sector, so I have first-hand experience of being in business, all the trials and tribulations that come with that and, unfortunately, meeting the odd unsavoury person. To gain a better understanding for today, apart from my own experience, I spoke to Retail Excellence Ireland, which nominated me to the industrial and commercial panel and represents more than 2,200 members.”
“We need a community policing unit to be assigned to and based in Ballivor or Summerhill to cover those areas, we clearly need more gardaí in Navan, Trim and Kells and it is about time that Meath stopped featuring in articles quoting its crime, its yearly highs and the fact that it still has the lowest number of gardaí in Ireland. I would really appreciate hearing what the Minister for Justice has to say about increasing Garda levels in County Meath.”
“Crime rates in Trim and Kells in County Meath reached a six-year high while crime in Navan reached a 20-year high. A total of 2,229 crimes were reported in Navan, with theft accounting for 50% of them. Worryingly, assaults accounted for 10% of all crimes. A total of 661 crimes were reported in Trim, with theft accounting for 25% and assaults accounting for 14%. Villages like Enfield and Ballivor are crying for Garda stations to be at least opened. Even though Enfield has had a small increase in gardaí, there are still not enough of them to keep the Garda station open for even a few hours a day. People have to travel to Trim to get forms signed, never mind the fact that a crime might be happening in Enfield.”
“In one of my first speeches in the Seanad, I spoke about community safety. I spoke about the fear people have walking the streets at night time and, in fact, in day time. I spoke of attacks in our local towns and how people constantly live in fear. I used the example of a store owner going to the bank at 3 p.m. who was jumped upon. Community safety was one of the biggest issues I faced on the doors when I was canvassing. It is a known fact that Meath has the lowest number of gardaí per capita compared with any other county. This is not a new phenomenon. It has been happening for years and I just do not understand it. CSO figures for 2024 released two days ago show that the number of crimes recorded at over half of the Garda stations in the country exceeded already high levels in the pre-pandemic period.”
“We all have to admit that is nothing as nice as getting furniture made locally so I call on the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to reintroduce an apprenticeship scheme for upholsterers before the trade dies completely. As a child, I recall the smell of the glue, the noise of the staple guns, the rolls of material and watching the craft of people at the upholstery benches and sewing machines and I would love to see that come back.”
“His mam said he should be an upholsterer. The apprentices of the 1950s became the factory owners of the 1960s and the cycle repeated itself. At one stage out of a population of 6,500 in Navan, 1,000 to 1,200 people were employed in the furniture industry. These days, there are probably ten to 15 places still manufacturing, which is a far cry from the glory days. We see thousands of imports, particularly from Asia, coming into the country and it i very hard to get your favourite suite re-upholstered. Years ago, people invested in a suite and got it re-upholstered but sadly, we do not see much of that anymore. It is a dying trade, which is unfortunate.”
“I wish to raise the issue of apprenticeships in the furniture industry. Some say that the great wind of 1839 was the start of the furniture industry in Navan, County Meath. The big wind occurred on the afternoon of 6 January and swept across Europe causing major damage and resulting in several hundred deaths. We had a plentiful supply of trees, the tools were there on the ground and we were ready to go. Fast forward to the 1960s and 1990s and furniture in Navan was huge. Upholsterers and cabinet makers were members of almost every family with 70 to 100 furniture makers in the town. Navan is only an hour from Dublin so people came in their droves to buy furniture. My dad was one of those manufacturers. My dad left school at 12 and had a choice of being an apprentice to be a cabinet maker or an upholsterer.”
“The previous Minister of State in the Department of Transport, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, said that her ambition was that all children in Ireland would have the option to make their daily commute to the classroom on foot or by bicycle or scooter in a way that is safe and protected. She said that she was confident that this ambition was shared by children, their parents, teachers and the wider school community. I totally agree. I urge the Department to finish the job.”
“The programme was originally launched in March 2021 but has not reopened for applications since then. A few hundred schools applied for funding initially but many did not submit applications and would love the opportunity to do so now. The safe routes to school programme provides front-of-school treatments which enhance access to school grounds and create a safe space for students at the front of schools. It accelerates the delivery of walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure on key access routes to schools and expands the amount of bike and scooter parking available at schools. I urge everyone to visit the programme's website to see the fantastic work that has been done under the programme. A great deal of work needs to be done in County Meath to make the journey to school safer.”
“I want to speak about the safe routes to school programme. I find myself speaking about road safety quite a lot in the Chamber. I am sorry if I am driving colleagues mad, but it is very important to me and to many people in County Meath. A fantastic road safety opportunity is provided through the safe routes to school programme. In fact, it is a no-brainer. My colleague Senator Rabbitte mentioned the programme a few weeks ago when she was discussing safe routes outside day services. The National Transport Authority, NTA, funded and ran this programme and during the term of the previous Government, under the auspices of the Department of Transport. I ask that both the Department and the NTA provide information on whether the programme is going to be reopened in order that more schools can apply for funding.”
“Something else I felt was important when discussing the issues with these providers is they do not have a stakeholder forum anymore and they want to know when that will be implemented. I will conclude because I want to give my colleague time. I would like us all to remember what the GP said, which is that for women’s health we need to get more childcare, which in turn will help women. I thank the Minister for today. The forward-planning model she mentioned sounds great. I will finish by saying it needs to be great to help sort out the sector.”
“It is similar to the bus escorts for special schools who do not get paid during the summer. A suggestion I thought was super was about how the childcare sector could help with the July provision. Apparently many providers have said they could do this and it could really help with the demand for that service. They would get paid to deliver July provision and this would bring down the waiting lists for the service. Many of these centres used to run camps during the summer, which kept people employed, but, as I am sure the Minister is aware, it has become increasingly difficult to run camps in schools in the summer due to insurance issues. The providers cannot get insurance cover for summer camps.”
“She gave excellent insight, as one can imagine, into the issues while also recognising the amount of money that has been given to the sector. She has raised points about core funding and changing the payment of fees structure such that centres historically unable to apply for core funding would be allowed to apply. She and representatives of other centres raised the serious issue of the Pobal portal. First of all, the calculator has gone off the site. I am not sure whether the Minister is aware of that. It was mentioned by Rosaleen as well. There are also numerous system errors that make the system overcomplicated and unworkable. Providers are asking for a complete system overhaul. They have raised the issue of pay for their staff during the summer. What are they to do?”
“If we multiply the hourly wage of a staff member by 11 hours per day and five days per week we get €750.75. If we take the core funding for year 3 of €1.86 per hour and add that to the parents’ fees, this particular crèche is left, after all that, with €81 per week to pay for rent, rates, heat, insurance, high chairs, food, etc. Owners are suffering from high levels of stress and burnout. Larger issues like meeting the diverse needs of children with additional needs are creating further challenges such as access to resources and waiting times for assessment. Strenuous regulation and administration is also placing a massive demand on providers to monitor regulations and are of course costing money. In light of our debate today, I also spoke to Elaine Dunne of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers.”
“I spoke to Rosaleen, a childcare provider, today as I knew we were going to have a great opportunity to speak to the Minister. I will pass on some of the notes I got from the provider. She said staffing is going to be a massive issue and many childcare centres are unable to replace staff who leave for positions with better pay and conditions. The lady I spoke to this morning is losing a good few staff to Aldi and Lidl, which pay more than the €13.65 she offers her staff. This morning she hired her tenth Spanish member of staff because she is finding it harder to get Irish staff. She explained the situation to me. She said one member of staff is needed for three babies. The parents pay €175 per week in fees for a baby. Multiply that by three and we get €525.”
“Providers were also required to comply with requirements to meet various staffing levels and regulations that they would say resulted in increased costs and more monitoring of their businesses. There is no doubt there are many positives with this scheme and the Minister is doing an incredible job trying to give more money in this funding model. I believe 90% of providers are signed up to it. These childcare providers are trying to run viable businesses - I know what it is like to run a business – but they have significant State intrusion without the State financial support to back it up. I am business owner, not in the childcare sector but in the play centre and leisure sector, and have first hand experience of the enormous cost of running a business.”
“As people will know, it is a pity when a child comes home from their school and they have to play with kids from another school. A few weeks back for International Women's Day we made statements in the Seanad. I asked a friend of mine who is a GP what she would like to ask for in women's health. The answer was, simply, more childcare. I was expecting a medical answer, but she put it simply that by allowing women to go to work, go out and exercise, go to the gym and meet friends socially, this would really help their mental health. One of the big issues that I imagine will be discussed here today is the core funding model. In return for signing up to this model, which was established three years ago, operators had to commit to a fee freeze.”
“These people are trying to get through the huge burden of the cost of living by going out to work, but they cannot find places for their children. One lady I spoke to was on extended leave from work as she simply could not find anybody to look after her newborn. As my colleague has said, it is really hard to get babies looked after. Maybe that particular sector needs to be worked at in terms of wages and costs. That lady had to register her child at a few months old into a preschool in another village. She is also registering the child in the school in the other village, and not in the village she lives in, simply because that school links in with the local crèche facilities. She will have to travel eight miles a day when the child goes to school, which is such a pity.”
“Childcare providers across our country are dealing with massive financial pressure and a bureaucracy of regulations that are impacting the sector dramatically. Independent providers have no entitlement to maternity leave. Their job is not recognised by financial institutions in some instances, which it makes it difficult for them to apply for a loan or mortgage. Many of these providers have degrees in childcare. Some do not and family friends or relatives help out. They are providing one of the most important services in our country. As a mother, I know how difficult it is to find childcare. In the village where I live, there is no crèche, and the school does not run a breakfast club or after-school care. It is very difficult to find childcare. The town I am from, Navan, has hundreds of people on waiting lists for crèche facilities.”
“It is fantastic to be splitting my time with Senator Ní Chuilinn. I also have a contribution from Senator Lynch, who cannot be here today. The definition of "childcare" is the care of children, especially by a crèche, nursery, or childminder, while parents are working. I found a lovely quote which says that children are not a distraction from important work; they are the important work. Thank you for allowing us to use our voices today. I always say I am very privileged to stand here and use my voice, but that is especially the case on the important issue of childcare. I am a mam of two girls. I have first-hand experience of what it is like out there trying to source childminding while two parents work. I am blessed that in my own circumstances we have grandparents who can help us out a lot and I have a wonderful husband.”
“I wish to raise a point I raised last week. I hope I am saying this right. Section 2(1)(a)(ii) of the principal Act refers to "a sole trader, partnership, trust club or charity ... with an annual turnover in its previous financial year ... of €3 million or less". I ask that the amount would be raised to €5 million.”
“Daddy Cool's daughter was grieving, as were his family, and words here cannot express how that grief intensified because of that article. Imagine losing your dad and having every detail of what he was wearing, what he drank before he went to bed and his medical history being splashed across the newspapers. Would Members like that? The Press Ombudsman has a code of practice and section 5 deals with privacy. Section 5.3 states: Sympathy and discretion must be shown at all times in seeking information in situations of personal grief or shock. In publishing such information, the feelings of grieving families should be taken into account. I would like to ask the Minister for arts, media and communications to come in and debate how we can prevent this happening to any more families.”
“Not only was it horrific for his family to see explicit details of their cherished father's death, which went so far to describe his nightwear, but this man, like so many Irish men, loved a small drink before he went to bed, a comfort to which he was entitled, and the article listed the milligrammes of alcohol in his system. It went on to list his previous health information that even his family did not know about, such was the privacy this man enjoyed in his life. If he was ill, he was battling that himself, but when he died, all that privacy went out the window. In life we can protect ourselves with GDPR but in death we cannot. That right is not only taken away, but in this case a family was left to read about it and deal with it.”
“In this case, a family member attended – not his daughter, as her grief was palpable and she could not bring herself to attend. Everything went as expected at the inquest and it was established that he died from an injury caused by a fall. Now move forward. The family of this man opened their local newspaper to see practically a half page story with a giant headline, “Died from an Injury Caused by a Fall”. Initially they thought it might be a lovely obituary for the man, but it was not. A journalist and an editor thought it was in the community's interest to write about the death of this very private man, and not only that, but to do so without informing his family.”
“I raise an issue that affects many people, which is newspaper articles on inquests and the sheer stress and heartache this causes many families. When I speak, I like to use real-life examples. I will talk about a woman I know who lost her father on 5 October 2022. This man was also known as Daddy Cool because he was loved by his daughter and granddaughter so much that, in their eyes, he epitomised Daddy Cool. This man had a sudden death – a fall at home. It was unimaginable heartbreak for his family. His life was cut cruelly short in an accident. An inquest was ordered to establish the circumstances of his death. As we know, inquests are held in court, and journalists and the public can attend. Families are notified within 14 days of an inquest.”
“There are many services we need to protect in our towns and I strongly feel that, when we look at future plans for our towns, we should think outside the box and not always look to reducing car parking spaces as a first resort. We need to increase parking spaces, including disabled parking spaces, in many towns that have seen dramatic population growth. I call for this to be looked at as a matter of urgency so that businesses in our towns will not continue failing. I ask that the Minister for local government look at this and come to the House to discuss the situation.”
“Not a week goes by where traffic in Navan is not brought up on social media and you can only imagine what it is like at school times. A journey that would have taken five minutes in the past is now taking 40 minutes. We all want to see people using buses, helping our environment and our towns becoming more attractive. However, does it have to be at the cost of car parking spaces, turning people away from shopping? I raised this argument before as a councillor and the response I got was that many people had moved online, but I cannot get this hair highlighted online, I cannot buy fresh fish online, I cannot have a nice lunch in a café online and I cannot get clothes dry-cleaned online.”
“On our main street, we have lost many car parking spaces that have been replaced with trees and landscaping. Would the town not have been better served by providing even age-friendly or disabled parking spaces? Our historic Fair Green, which will again look fantastic, will lose 12 spaces alone and that does not take into account the spaces we will lose around the Fair Green. One business from Trimgate Street in Navan stated: The readjustment of road layouts and finally the removal of parking has lost us 40% of business over the last four years. I have a couple who every week for 20 years have been coming ... in to buy their weekly magazine who have now cancelled that subscription telling me they cannot find parking close to my shop anymore. On top of this, buses are coming through the town which backs up traffic.”
“Retail businesses on streets all over our towns have been dramatically affected by parking spots being taken away. I raised this among my colleagues yesterday evening and I was not surprised by how many said that the same was happening in their towns. This morning, I will use my town of Navan, County Meath, as a prime example. Navan is going through its plan of Navan 2030, the introduction of which says: Navan is an attractive town, with historic streetscapes ... and a rich cultural and landscape heritage on its surrounds. Navan has a large population, and substantial growth is forecast in the coming years. I do not think any person or business disagrees with our plans for Navan and as someone who has proudly lived all her life there, I have to say that our town is looking really well. However, I am worried about the cost.”
“I thank the Minister of State very much for his very thorough response, which I appreciate. I know the Government is working well on reducing speed limits and everything else we are trying to do. With regard to speed limits, we do not even have a Garda station in Kilmessan. It was closed a good few years ago. A garda comes to the village only once a week. It is hard to reprimand people for speeding. I will take up the suggestion on the safe routes to school programme and I thank the Minister of State for it. With regard to the information we are getting, there is an anomaly, as the Minister of State has said. We should use testimony from the people in the village to let the Minister of State know what is happening. This should also be taken on board as well as the facts.”
“I ask that villages around Ireland, many of which have experienced a big increase in population over the past few years, are reviewed in terms of what needs to be done on traffic calming.”
“I love the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." This particular village wants to raise its children in safety but that is not happening right now. My second request is that the Minister of State takes this representation with him today and sees what his Department can do to solve the issue of danger in Kilmessan. I would hate to be standing here in front of him again after a fatality happened. The road outside the school in Kilmessan, which is attended by 231 children, needs to be examined. There is zero traffic calming outside the school right now. Finally, we need a serious examination of speed in all of our villages. I recognise that speed limits have been reduced on rural-local roads and we are expecting a reduction in urban core areas, which I am not sure will apply in this instance.”
“I do not have facts to show the Minister of State, but it is very obvious to all who live in Kilmessan, and especially to the school authorities, that traffic calming is desperately needed such as speed bumps or humps, rumble strips, chicanes or a dynamic speed display sign. In order for Meath County Council to apply for funding for this road, it needs to pass the traffic survey. Everyone around that village can see what is happening. I have three requests. The first is that other ways are allowed to determine how dangerous a road is in a village. Is it always about science or can it be science combined with the testimonies of people in that particular village? The people in that village know that it is a huge problem but feel it will take an accident to create a fact before something gets done.”
“For three years, Skane Valley Community Council, a local council set up for the good of the village, along with other politicians and I, have asked Meath County Council to install ramps or speed controls in the village. Unfortunately, the request keeps getting turned down because when the council sends out traffic survey staff the average speeds at those particular times are not fast enough. However, the recorded speeds were between 42 km/h and 50 km/h. Given all the businesses, the church, school and hotel, that road is busy with parked cars on both sides of the road. If cars are travelling through at between 42 km/h and 50 km/h, it is a recipe for disaster.”
“To help with my explanation, I have brought in an aerial view of the village. As everyone can see, it goes the whole way down one straight road. With all of these businesses, the Minister of State can imagine how busy a village it is. The main road running through the village is the problem. I received the following message from a constituent when I raised this previously: At 8.15 p.m. on St Patrick's Day, I noticed a vehicle acting erratically. The vehicle sped through the village and was on both side of the road swerving from side to the other. The driver conducted three handbrake manoeuvres through the village. This left tyre marks on the road. At this time there were ten people on the footpaths, including children. I cannot imagine what would have happened if this car had lost control and hit some of them.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I really appreciate it. This issue is something I raised last week and I am delighted that it was selected as a Commencement matter. Over the past year, I have canvassed in three elections and without a shadow of a doubt the biggest issue at the doors was the speed on our roads, whether that was on a housing estate or a rural road. People are living in fear that someone they know will be injured or, worse, killed. That is the fear of people living in Kilmessan, County Meath - a village with a population of 1,000 and growing. It houses two shops, a chipper, a restaurant, two pubs, a credit union, a school, a church and a hotel, which are all on the main street. The hotel draws in thousands per year such is the popularity of weddings there.”
“I am simply saying that we are working on it and achieving classrooms like the rainbow room. That is a classroom every child deserves. We need equitable seats in a class that are appropriate for a child's needs. Our approach needs to be child-centred and what is most important is that we listen to their voices and plan ahead. Let us imagine a situation where children with additional needs have a choice of school within their own communities with therapies on-site. I am confident that my colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy McEntee, will ensure that investment continues in education for these children and their families.”
“The wheels were set in motion between Tracy, the school, the Minister of State with responsibility for special education at the time, Josepha Madigan, the Minister of State with responsibility for disability at the time, Senator Anne Rabbitte, the NCSE, the SENO, myself and the Deputy I worked for. Senators should witness what that rainbow classroom is like. In true Willow form, she is taught in that class, in her own way, along with three other girls and a new boy starting in September, all by teacher, Geraldine, and the nurse staff. What this Government has done is ensure that five kids with very complex special needs in Navan are going to school along with other schoolmates. I do not disagree with what everyone is saying about wanting and needing to do more. We need to; we have to. Every child deserves an education.”
“There is €2.9 billion allocated in 2025 to support the provision of special education and that is a 48% increase since 2020. Going back to Willow's mum, Tracy, she, like many other parents, sent out letters and begged special schools to take her daughter into their educational setting. Willow is a very special girl who has severe, complex needs but she is a little beauty and a little fighter like her mum. Like many other mums, Tracy got refusal letter after refusal letter. However, Tracy, deciding not to give up and determined to avail of the inclusivity model, approached a mainstream school that her son Noah was attending. It is a wonderful school. Cathal Ó Bric is the principal of Boyerstown National School, outside Navan.”
“I welcome Sarah and Darren Hennessy to the Gallery. I welcome any conversations about special education. I am on the board of a fabulous special school, Saint Ultan's, in Navan, County Meath. I am delighted to discuss all of this with the Minister of State. Like everyone in this room who are working with many children trying to access school places, this issue is very close to our hearts. I wish to talk about Willow Carroll, whose mum, Tracy, would knock anyone out in a boxing ring such is her determination to fight for disability rights and for fairness for her daughter and children like her daughter. I disagree with one part of the motion where it states: "the failure of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments to adequately plan for and invest in the expansion of special education".”
“I note the former Minister, Senator McDowell's, point that they should be of similar minds and not, as we see in the High Court, different judges awarding different sums as injury awards. I welcome the hiring of 35 additional staff last year and hope the waiting times for motorists, businesses and people bringing complaints to the ombudsman will be dramatically reduced.”