Lorraine Clifford-Lee
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“It is reflective of a strong economy, but the strong economy dictates that we need to have a strong national airport serving the needs of our economy. That is what Dublin Airport does. The carriers dictate the routes. It is not for the Government, the Minister or any individual to dictate how a particular route is formed.”
“I am talking about people who live in the towns of Rush, Lusk, Skerries and Balbriggan and in more rural areas such as Balruddery, Ballyboughal, Oldtown and Naul. They have no other option. They do not have good, developed public transport. They have to travel across Dublin to get to work.”
“In particular, the children of Kilcoskan National School, who have gone through an awful time being suddenly under the flight path, really need to be thought about at this time. I would like to see greater engagement with the residents.”
“I want to touch on something the Minister said earlier in relation to the flight paths and the independent assessment of the flight paths he said he would order on the conclusion of this legislation.”
“We are all worried about the environmental impact of Dublin Airport. I live in close proximity to the airport. I speak to the communities from around the airport nearly daily. I am very much aware of the horticultural industry in north County Dublin and the need to protect it. The Senator has made some very good points.”
“They are decent, honest, hard-working people who just want their situation resolved. They have been living in limbo for many years. They have real concerns. They have engaged in good faith with the DAA. They just want to be treated fairly. They want to be able to replace the homes they have.”
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“Both of my grandmothers were farmers though not on paper and I doubt that they had very much say in what happened on the financial side of things but they worked day in and day out while raising very big families on small landholdings in counties Kerry and Waterford. It is very important that the contribution of women is recognised. Some strides have been made in recent years but still women who have worked on farms for many years have difficulty in accessing pension rights. That is something that we need to look at but, like I said, we need to have that cultural conversation around that. I know many women farmers in north County Dublin where I am and they work in the industries of horticulture and agriculture. They produce top quality products and maintain the land but there are many barriers.”
“As a result these countries are more stable and do better overall. Women face many barriers in agriculture here in Ireland and many colleagues have touched on the issues that women face. Access to capital and assets are particularly acute within the farming sector and we need to have a cultural conversation on that. If the agricultural industry in Ireland is to be sustainable and if we are going to retain people on the land and keep them farming family farms, then we need to have a more open and honest discussion about families and how they look at women within the family system inheriting land and not only working and contributing on the farm, which women have done for generations.”
“While energy security is being discussed a lot at the moment, the food security of this country is a very important aspect that is not getting enough conversation and attention. I know that the Minister will bring that conversation forward and keep the issue of food security for us in Ireland but also globally to the forefront of his work. As part of food security, Senators have mentioned the work that Irish Aid does overseas to support communities across Africa and some countries but, in particular, supporting women farmers in those communities. When we support women farmers, whether that is here in Ireland or abroad, then we support communities because we know that when we support and empower women then we support communities. We are supporting their communities and children to prosper.”
“I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss this important topic. I commend Senator Boyhan on putting it on our schedule and the Minister on coming here to partake in this very important debate in this, the United Nations International Year of the Women Farmer, which aims to recognise and support women working across agriculture and food systems. This is so important when we look at the issue of climate change and increasing food insecurity in many parts of the world. We must examine food security ourselves. While we are not in any immediate danger the evidence shows that food security will become an increasing problem even here in Ireland. This country has a lot of very good agricultural land and we need to make sure that we maintain good agricultural land while retaining sustainable communities.”
“What happened in the previous three years? Why was he allowed be a member of An Garda Síochána and have such power and use that power to terrorise women - to terrorise the two survivors I referenced here and possibly plenty of other people? How are women supposed to have faith in An Garda Síochána or in Fiosrú when something like this happens? There are serious questions there. We need to have a serious look at how the institutions of the State deal with abusers within their ranks.”
“GSOC, now Fiosrú, says it has started an internal investigation to see why such delays happened, why this man was allowed wander the streets looking for further victims and why more women were subjected to his abuse. He is a danger to society. I hope we all remember his name and see his face because no woman is ever safe with Paul Moody. If he did it once, if he did it twice, he will do it again. I am sure there are many other victims of this horrible, vile abuser out there and I hope they have the strength to come forward. I want to know why such delays occurred in investigating this. This woman made her complaint in 2017 and the complaint was discontinued in 2023. Fiosrú has said the level of delay is unacceptable and it has made reference to Covid which, of course, happened in 2020. That is three years.”
“Yesterday, a former garda, Paul Moody, received a sentence for coercive and violent behaviour towards a former partner. Senators will recall that this former garda is currently serving a sentence for coercive control of a partner. This latest incident predated the person who made the report in the case of the sentence he is now serving. The very brave Nicola Hanney reported absolutely horrific abuse and coercive controlling behaviour, following which he received a conviction. Remarkably, the woman in the case dealt with yesterday was in a relationship with Paul Moody prior to Nicola Hanney and had made a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, back in 2017, but it was not properly investigated. He remained a member of An Garda Síochána until 2021 when Nicola Hanney made her report and he was suspended from the force.”
“It is important that we all work together to ensure that this is fully operational and that any work that needs to take place will have taken place well in advance of the year of the Normans next year. Driving this project forward is a key priority for Lusk Community Council and a key priority of mine. I want to work with the Minister of State to make sure these works are done and that the early Christian origins and the medieval history are brought to life for everybody. I look forward to working with the Minister of State on that.”
“Lusk Community Council has worked very well with the OPW to develop this as a significant tourist offering both for visitors and Lusk residents. As the Minister of State may know, Lusk is a town with a rapidly expanding population and significant new housing developments have taken place in the area. It could be said that Lusk and the wider area are absorbing the housing needs of Dublin. It is important that we give back to the community which gives so much to us. The community is what makes Lusk what it is, but it is also about the round tower, which the local GAA club is named after. It is a really iconic part of the community and has such a rich, fantastic history. The tower dates from early Christian times to medieval times.”
“OPW tour guides from Brú na Bóinne did the tours and they were fantastic. They are really excellent tour guides and are very knowledgeable of the area and the historical and cultural significance of the site. The building had a detailed survey completed in 2025. Lusk community council is now awaiting details of that survey and the timeline for improvements. They are very keen to get this fully open for next year. Members may know that next year we will be celebrating the year of the Normans. This is a significant site in the Norman history of Ireland. Lusk is keen to be part of that celebration next year and to be a focal point in Dublin of the Norman celebrations. These works are really necessary. We need the report published, the necessary works committed to and an undertaking given before this can progress.”
“The first challenge that the OPW and Lusk community council encountered was to get the belfry and round tower open for the 2025 tourist season using the fabulous community cultural centre nearby as a base, and 12 openings occurred in 2025. They were very successful. Only the ground floor of the belfry is currently available for tours due to health and safety reasons. In 2026 the OPW and Lusk community council have agreed 14 days of tours of the round tower and belfry. These are right in the heart of medieval Lusk. They really form an iconic cultural point within the town. Those dates are from May to September. I recently did one of the first tours in May. I brought my daughter. It was a beautiful tour and I know the Minister of State will be very impressed when he comes to visit .”
“The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad. I want to speak specifically about Lusk round tower and belfry. It is a topic we have discussed previously. I want to use this opportunity to talk about it. Lusk community council has been working with the OPW since October 2024. The first challenges it encountered were in getting this beautiful belfry and round tower open. I will touch on the history of the belfry and the round tower. St. Maccullin is connected with the area as one of the early Christians in Ireland. The Barnewall tomb is contained in the medieval part of it. The Barnewall family were a significant Norman family in the area.”
“Some people seek to divide people, stir up the politics of hate and division and push people apart for their own clickbait and their own agenda, but Fianna Fáil has never been and will never be that. I am a proud Fianna Fáil person. I am proud to be part of a party that is delivering and has delivered for the people of Ireland.”
“Fianna Fáil has been the centre of progress in Ireland, whether in women's health in recent years, in education or in housing. Our life expectancy is second to none across the world and that does not happen by chance. We were there when the State was founded. In its infancy, things could have taken a bad turn. They took a bad turn in many other countries across the world, but not in Ireland because Fianna Fáil was central to the stability of this country in delivering for the people. We brought this country into the EU and here we are on the cusp of taking up the Presidency of the EU. We are central to the European project and the vision of what a united Europe can deliver for the people. Let us be clear about it. It is the stability and the progress, and keeping war from our doors, that have been central.”
“I rise today to talk about the centenary of Fianna Fáil and to say that I am a proud Fianna Fáil member standing here 100 years since our foundation. Our weekend Ard-Fheis was a great opportunity for us all to reflect on the progress we have made as a country and that Fianna Fáil has been central to that progress. While that narrative does not suit everybody, it is the truth. Fianna Fáil has always stood for progressive, centrist politics and politics that brought people together to find real and practical solutions to problems, to bring this country on, to develop it economically, and to have the vision and the unity of purpose to deliver for the people of Ireland, not to divide them but to deliver and bring people together. That is what Fianna Fáil has always stood for.”
“It is a toxic hangover from the Troubles. The abusive practices of paramilitaries and a society ruled by violence and secrecy have seeped into society. I know the Minister is committed to the new family law court complex in Hammond Lane. It has been a bugbear of mine and I look forward to its development.”
“It was a watershed moment in one way but, very troublingly, the narrative that emerged from that incident was that it was something that we needed to tackle. Unfortunately, other women and their children have been murdered in their own homes and we are not yet at a place where women and their children are safe in their own homes. This is something we should have as a whole-of-society priority. There are issues around the manosphere and misogyny, as well as the online forums promoting violence, far-right ideology and abuse towards women. Senator Flynn touched on that. I will turn to women in Northern Ireland. It is the most dangerous place in Europe for women. It is a matter I have spoken about on a number of occasions. I would like the Minister to deal with his Northern Irish counterpart to address the issue.”
“We cannot all be standing up in this Chamber every so often to talk about this issue. We need action, and I know the Minister is taking action. The national conversation that we must have must centre around a number of things, but access to violent and degrading pornographic material is crucial. Our young boys and young men are exposed to this from a very young age and it is having a harmful effect on their own development and on young girls and young women in Irish society. On the subject of the national conversation we must have about violence and abusive behaviour, I commend Jacqueline Connolly, sister of Clodagh Hall and aunt of Liam, Niall and Ryan Hall, on her contribution in highlighting the abuse suffered by Jacqueline and her children. They were murdered by the violent abuser, Alan Hall, in their home in 2016.”
“I was particularly happy to hear the announcement of a new refuge in my constituency. In Balbriggan, 13 emergency accommodation units are going to be opened. There will also be ancillary services. That is very welcome. I have spoken to the Minister about that issue in the past, even in his role as Opposition spokesperson as far back as 2016. It is not uniform across the country. Other Senators have pointed out the severe lack in other areas. I know this is a matter to which the Minister is committed. He is delivering in north County Dublin and I know he will deliver in other parts of the country. The publication of the zero-tolerance national strategy is very welcome. It has to be front and centre of the work of the Department of justice and must reach into other Departments to allow for a national conversation. We need action.”
“People need to know the background of the people they have in their lives and in their children's lives. This legislation is a significant step forward for the protection of women and children in this country. Valerie's law also is a very important step forward. Somebody who murders the mother of their children does not deserve guardianship because such people do not, and will never, have the interests of their child at heart if that is something they do. I take the point made by Senator Tully that there are other instances of serious abusive and harmful behaviour that should warrant the removal of guardianship. That should be examined by the Minister and his officials. The expansion of refuge places is to be welcomed. I know it is an issue on which he is working hard.”
“That legislation change the narrative and began recognising the behaviours as abusive and criminal. There have been 25 convictions to date and every time one of those convictions happens, I am very happy and proud of the work I have done. That legislation changed the lives of 25 women and their children. It protects women and opens others to recognising abusive behaviour. As I said, I am happy that the Minister is layering on top of that work. He is very responsive on the issue of gender-based violence in society. He has run with Jennie's law and has clutched it with both hands. I commend Jason Poole on the work he has done in honour of his sister, Jennifer, who was murdered by a man who had previous convictions for abuse. It is important to say that abusers do not change their spots. Once an abuser, always an abuser.”
“Examples such as isolating people from family and friends, controlling money and access to essentials and the monitoring of phone and social media accounts are all recognised as abusive behaviours. Putting that into law for the first time was groundbreaking and opened people's eyes to what abuse is. I am proud of the role that I played in introducing that legislation. Fine Gael did not want it introduced at the time. I remember dealing closely with Senator Higgins and then Senator Bacik. The three of us met the Minister. We dug in our heels and, ultimately, it was included in the Act. However, there was significant pushback from the minority Government of the time. Thankfully, the numbers allowed us to get that through. I am glad that the Minister now in place is very responsive to this issue.”
“I welcome the opportunity to debate this important issue. As most Members of the House know, it is a topic I am passionate about. As has been outlined, domestic and gender-based violence is a scourge on society. We need a whole-of-society approach to eliminating this scourge and we need men involved in the conversation. We need positive role models. We need to highlight and tackle the issue and not sweep it under the carpet as happened here for so many years. The Domestic Violence Act 2018 was groundbreaking legislation. Coercive control was introduced by that Act for the very first time. It came into effect on 1 January 2019. It was one of the first laws in Europe to specifically criminalise patterns of psychological and controlling abuse within intimate relationships.”
“We are too vulnerable to rely just on nurses and midwives from abroad because it is a high-in-demand and highly mobile workforce and we need to be increasing across the board. It would be a really worthwhile debate to have in this House.”
“Nurses and midwives need to have a clearer specialisation pathway, more support for postgraduate training and better advancement opportunities within the healthcare service. We have a growing demand for nurses and midwives due to our growing and ageing population. By 2040, we will need over 100,000 whole-time equivalent nurses and midwives in the Irish health service. The key to delivering this, and the Government has a goal towards this, lies in expanding our own training and undergraduate degree places for nurses and midwives in Ireland. I ask the Deputy Leader to request a debate with the Minister for further and higher education, Deputy James Lawless, in the House around the expansion of training, education and undergraduate places for nurses and midwives in Ireland.”
“Not long ago many thousands of Irish girls and women went overseas and trained and worked as nurses abroad. I am thinking particularly of the NHS in the UK. They encountered many barriers and racism. We should not forget our history. We should remember the migrant nurses and midwives working in our own health service here. The future of healthcare in Ireland depends on the empowering of midwives and nurses. Throughout the EU nurses are increasingly involved in community screening programmes, prevention and health promotion, nurse-led chronic health disease pathways and contraception and family planning services. The evidence is strong when it comes to nurses delivering healthcare in communities.”
“Some 22% of our nurses and midwives are from India and 8% are from the Philippines. Many of these nurses and midwives left their own countries and families behind to work in our health service and watch their children grow up through screens and FaceTime. Today is a day to remember particularly their sacrifice to contribute to our health service. Migrant Nurses Ireland has highlighted reports of racist abuse faced by migrant nurses and midwives. We as a society and as a health service must have a zero tolerance approach when it comes to making sure that our migrant nurses and midwives are safe within the health service and that their workplaces are inclusive, tolerant and respectful and, most of all, safe for them to work and do their jobs.”
“Today is International Nurses Day. It is an opportunity to recognise and pay tribute to nurses and midwives and recognise their contribution to the Irish health system. I particularly want to pay tribute to all the nurses and midwives in north County Dublin. As of June 2025 there were more than 92,000 nurses and midwives on the register in Ireland. This is the highest ever recorded number of nurses and midwives in Ireland. The workforce, as the Leader can imagine, is strongly gendered, with around 90% of registered nurses and midwives being women. Ireland relies heavily on internationally trained nurses and midwives to meet our workforce demands. While 59% on the register are Irish, the rest of them come from many other countries around the globe. I am grateful they have chosen Ireland to come to and work in our health service.”
“I welcome the increase in supports the Minister put in place for households to retrofit their homes and do the upgrades in a piecemeal fashion. That is something many of us have been calling for. I would like to see those supports increased. While they are welcome, they can still be out of reach for many ordinary families. If there was capacity in the budget to increase those supports, it would be welcome. However, this cannot be the only solution. We need at least to have a fully informed public debate on the possibility of adopting nuclear energy.”
“It is incumbent on the Government, however, to have a public conversation that politicians can take part in. It is important to consider all energy sources because we cannot afford, as a country, to be vulnerable. We are in a relatively vulnerable position. As we know, in France over 60% of energy is produced through nuclear power. France is our near neighbour and has been successfully using it. We have the technical expertise and scientific knowledge in this country to have a reasoned and measured debate. I would like to have that so that we can see what our position is and put all options on the table. Then we can exclude the options, if needs be. We are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position if we are only looking at solar and wind energy, although I very much welcome those.”
“The 85-day buffer the Minister referred to is positive but is 85 days enough? Is there capacity to increase that? That is information that I would like to have. The elephant in the room when we talk about energy security is the issue of nuclear energy. That conversation is starting quietly. Traditionally and legally we cannot have nuclear energy. However, the Minister needs to have conversations, if he is not already having them, in the Department and the Government, about how we can explore the issue. The issue is so taboo that it has been off the table. I do not know whether any of us have had a chance to form a position on it. We should be afforded that chance. Maybe nuclear energy is something we will never touch. Maybe this generation of politician will not be in favour of it.”
“We also rely on it for business and world leaders to come here. Securing our jet fuel position is very welcome. I thank the Minister for the update. We will have to touch on the blockades on oil refineries in the course of this debate. It was a very unpleasant situation. The Minister was dealing with the situation as it emerged and many Members of the Houses were dealing with people in our constituencies. Across the board, people were horrified by the blockades on our oil refineries. We need to ensure that does not happen again. We need to take steps to protect vital infrastructure such as oil refineries. The Minister might take the opportunity to address how we will move forward and protect oil refineries through dialogue and co-operation and by emphasising their importance.”
“As an island on the Atlantic, we have an abundance of good wind that can be harnessed and used. It could become the equivalent of Ireland striking oil. We have wind and the money to invest in infrastructure. We need to be careful that we do not sell off our natural resources to private entities. We need to look at the Norway model and see the good that it put its oil strike to. That is what we can do. We have the capacity. I know the Minister is very conscious, as a Republican and a nationalist, of keeping our national resources within State ownership for the benefit of the people of this country. The position as regards jet fuel is good to hear. Many of us have summer holidays planned and are hoping to be able to take them. As an island nation, all jokes aside, we are heavily reliant on our ability to fly in and out of this island.”
“We are becoming more educated in relation to energy conservation and generation and the impacts of various energy sources. There should be a national conversation brought to people so we can see the difference that a deep retrofit of a house can make, the difference that solar panels by themselves can make and how each individual household can play its part in ensuring the country is resilient when it comes to our energy situation. The interconnector with Spain brokered by the Minister is a positive development and is to be welcomed. It is a job well done. The doubling of wind capacity onshore has been significant. As the Minister pointed out, we are a world leader. However, we are falling down with offshore wind energy and we need to address that.”
“However, now that we have some time to assess how we move forward, we should grasp the opportunity with both hands. I am sure the Minister will have the co-operation of all parties across this House and the Lower House to discuss our situation, our vulnerabilities and our opportunities, and to ascertain how we can move forward. We have the economic firepower to ensure our economic resilience, our energy resilience and the future of our country, as well as to maintain economic success. We need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and that is widely acknowledged. We have done a lot and in this regard, the Minister has outlined specific instances of where we have increased our solar and wind energy output. Education is key.”
“I thank the Minister for coming in to discuss this important topic. It is of such importance that it should be on the schedule regularly. Energy security is at the forefront of our minds currently but it should remain so. It is what will drive global geopolitical conflict in the future. It is the question of our time and we need to prepare adequately. We have had a couple of shocks with the invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East. We know insecurity is coming and we know our vulnerabilities. As the Minister said, as a small open economy historically reliant on fossil fuels, Ireland is particularly vulnerable to global price shocks. We know that, and we have been well insulated by the measures that he and his colleagues in government have taken.”
“Their health, well-being, how they conduct their lives, family planning and future plans for their families are completely encompassed in how their home will be remedied, going forward. This is a very important day and I think of those 39 families, particularly in my own area but also in Wexford, and the many other homes that will be remedied as a result of the Minister's work on this issue. I am glad there is a sufficient budget within the Department to adequately address these defects. I thank the Minister for his quick engagement and with the agencies under his control, such as the quick engagement with Fingal County Council, to make sure these homes can be included in the scheme. I look forward to this motion passing so that we can move on and let these people get the remedy they deserve.”
“This is a good day for those homeowners in Wexford and Fingal who will finally be included under the scheme. I thank the Minister for his ongoing engagement with me on this issue. As he outlined, some 39 homes are thought to be affected in the Fingal area; one in Ballyboughal, two in Lusk, 30 in Rush and six in Skerries. This is a legacy issue, as the Minister outlined. This legacy has been hanging over the heads of those people for a long time. They will finally, if the motion is passed, be able to get their homes remedied and they can move on with their lives. I have met people impacted by defective blocks and many families who were impacted by pyrite prior to this. There is an enormous impact such a defect on their home has on their whole lives.”
“I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Fingal and Wexford County Councils) (Parts of Administrative Areas) Order 2026, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 12th March, 2026.”
“I move: That, pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) Bill 2026 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to her.””
“I have served with him for many years. He is a fine representative who contributes constructively. He does not deserve to be spoken to like that. He referenced a number of things that are true. Paul Quinn was savagely beaten. Every bone in his body-----”
“I ask Senator Murphy to remove his comments from the record of the Seanad regarding my colleague, Senator Joe Flaherty. He said that mud-slinging seems to be his stock-in-trade. He is a very fine representative-----”
“I commend the Minister of State on bringing this Bill before us and he has our full support in that. I look forward to its quick passage because the sooner we get this passed, the sooner it can be implemented by the deadline outlined in his speech. I look forward to the cost of energy reducing for people even further.”
“It is very important to take measures that are applicable for the moment and which give families and businesses breathing space. I know the Government is taking it day by day and watching it closely. It is important that we do not use everything that is in the tank, pardon the pun, in the first go because we do not know how long this will go on for. We need to make sure that and the best interests of the Irish public are served by the reserves, the finances and the funding that we have. We are lucky that the economy is in such a strong position that we are able to take these measures. We can look across the water at the difficulties that the British Government is facing. Its economy is not in as robust health as our economy and it will be very difficult for it.”
“I thank the Minister of State for outlining the importance of this Bill. We are all very much aware of what is happening to energy prices currently. It is very difficult for individuals and businesses. I commend him and his colleagues in government on taking the action they have taken this week. We are very concerned about the humanitarian impact of war in the Middle East, but the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz unprecedented. There is a very real risk of major economic global shock and we are starting to see the ripple effects of it. It is appropriate that the Government is taking steps to alleviate the impact on households and businesses. However, we do not know what the duration of the shock will be and we do not know what the impact will be.”
“We must improve awareness, education and training, particularly with regard to relationship and sexual education. Learning about healthy relationships is key. We must show our young people that relationships are built on trust, equality and respect. Unfortunately, many young people are growing up in homes where they do not have healthy relationships modelled to them. We need to look at that and understand it. One in three women faces domestic violence and domestic abuse. Their children are witnessing that. We need to break that cycle. We need to have conversations around consent, coercive control and red flags in relationships. As I said, we need to address this on an all-island basis as we move towards a new Ireland.”
“There is also the influence of paramilitaries in violence against women and girls, and the intimidation, threatening behaviour, trafficking and the running of brothels that are undertaken by people who were involved in paramilitary activity. We need to address this as a society. There are also particular issues in Northern Ireland in relation to the courts and access to legal aid. We all need to engage on this. The conversation needs to be happening here - on this side of the Border - as well. We need to address the matter on an all-island basis. We need to discuss the reasons behind violence against women and how to find solutions. We must include boys and young men in the conversation, because we will not address it until we deal with the root causes in communities.”
“She spoke about the problems specifically facing women and girls in Northern Ireland, and particularly about two women who were recently murdered. Amy Doherty, a mother of two, was murdered last Saturday in Derry and Ellie Flanagan was murdered two weeks ago in Enniskillen. These women have been named and their families are in the media spotlight, but they will drift from the media spotlight and the problem will continue. We need to address the issue of violence against women and girls on an all-island basis. There is a particular problem in Northern Ireland and there are many reasons for that, which have a lot to do with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland, including the normalisation of violence, the patriarchal patterns of life in Northern Ireland in a post-conflict society, the patriarchy and toxic masculinity.”
“Yesterday, the murderer of Natalie McNally, Stephen McCullagh, was found guilty and the details that emerged during the trial were nothing if not horrific. What Natalie endured in her final hours was very difficult to listen to. She was beaten, strangled and stabbed. I am struck by the mammoth task that lies ahead in Northern Ireland to address the issue of violence against women. Thirty women have been murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020 and that figure represents 88% of the women murdered on this island, so there is a huge problem with violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland. I was struck by the comments of Sonya McMullan of Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland this morning on "Morning Ireland".”
“What the Minister has done in terms of road funding is very significant. If I look at the list of other transport infrastructure projects he has been pushing on, it includes the delivery of MetroLink, which is a significant project for the country, not just Dublin. The whole north-east region will benefit from MetroLink. It also includes the expansion of the rural bus network and the rail network, including DART+ Coastal North, DART+ West and the Luas expansion. The Minister is doing all of that in addition to his very important brief on energy infrastructure. It is completely erroneous to suggest that he or any of his colleagues are reluctant to come in to the House. I have found all our senior Ministers, including the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to be very responsive. He is always around and is always open to talk to any of us.”