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.”
The complete record
Every one of 207 lines we hold for Lorraine Clifford-Lee, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“I was following the debate on the Order of Business upstairs in my office and I felt compelled to come to the House to speak about the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. There were some scurrilous accusations being hurled his way and I am glad that some comments were withdrawn on my way down to the Chamber because it is not something any of us in here could stand over. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, has been extremely responsive to Members of this House, Members of the Lower House and councillors around the country. He is, in fact, one of the most responsive Ministers. The recent roads funding announcement was far more significant than those of previous Ministers for transport. Senator O'Reilly was not here in the previous term but I was, and I can compare the current Minister for Transport to the previous Minister.”
“I thank the Minister of State. As he outlined, very challenging matters happen in these courts. We need secure premises. The Minister of State will know that a number of judges have been attacked in Phoenix House and Dolphin House. There are no secure arrangements in those buildings for people who are going into custody on foot of the matters being discussed. It is vital that this new building is built as soon as possible. I am delighted to hear that the procurement process is finished. The Minister of State said that construction will commence in 2027. Does he have an approximate time in 2027 for its commencement? How long is it envisaged that construction will take?”
“In April 2024, planning permission was granted for a six-storey, over-basement building, including 19 courtrooms, consultation spaces, staff and judicial rooms, a variety of public waiting areas, spaces for mediation and domestic violence services and supports, rooms for legal practitioners and custody facilities. This is really good and is needed for the people of Dublin. Dublin has waited long enough for this new family courts complex. I believe it is at the procurement stage at present. I ask the Minister of State to give us a clear outline as to where the project is at, when the procurement stage will be finished and when it will be open to the public.”
“They are lacking in the privacy that the family law system needs, given that those who are engaging in complex family law issues need privacy. In July 2023, almost ten years after it was announced that a new family law courts complex would be delivered at the Hammond Lane site, the Department of Justice gave approval in principle to proceed with the Dublin family courts complex as a public-private partnership. Until this point and still today - I passed by the site recently - it has been a massive hole in the ground in the north inner city. It is a blight on that community and a blight on Dublin, particularly the northside.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I appreciate his taking the time to answer this Commencement matter. As those who are long-standing Members of this Chamber will know, this is an issue that I have been raising since my election in 2016. There is a long and sorry history to the proposed new family courts complex at Hammond Lane. The site was bought in 2000 by the OPW, and a new family law complex for Dublin was promised in 2014. Currently, Dublin's family law courts are housed at Dolphin House, Phoenix House, Chancery Street and the Four Courts complex. As a solicitor, I know these courthouses well and have practised in them. They are completely unsuitable for court users and legal practitioners. They are old and without modern facilities.”
“We interact with them in a different manner and they are far more addictive than television was back in our day. I am really glad to see that we will be prioritising digital safety in the upcoming EU Presidency. Billionaires are profiting off harm and we cannot say that loudly enough. They are profiting off the harm of all of us and we have already seen the devastating consequences of billionaires feeling that no laws impact them, and that is just going to increase. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response to the motion. While we might have differing approaches to this issue across the House, it is something that we are all extremely concerned about.”
“They have never had a book read to them. They are having difficulty holding a crayon. This is all linked to smartphone use and social media addiction in the home. I say this as a parent and as someone who has often had to stop myself from sitting down for the night and doomscrolling. As parents we have to realise that what we do ourselves is impacting children. If they do not see their parents read a newspaper or book, are they going to suddenly start reading books when they are in school? I do not think so. If children who are starting school have never seen somebody turn a page, that is really worrying and we reallye really have to look at it. We need to have more awareness of the impact of smart devices in particular. Some of us grew up in an age when children watched TV but smart devices are something completely different.”
“I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, on the very strong stance she took when this blew up a number of weeks ago. She tackled the social media companies head-on. I was listening to a discussion on "Morning Ireland" earlier in relation to an Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report showing a big fall-off in school attendance across the country since Covid. The drop in school attendance has led to lesser outcomes for the children involved. I cannot help but wonder whether the impact of social media on young people's lives has led to this drop-off in school attendances. We see anxiety rising in young people. Is that linked to social media? I think so. Many teachers have told me children are coming in to school without the fine motor skills that they would expect a five-year-old to have. They cannot turn a page.”
“That is harmful for society and for the individual. The algorithm does not allow for diversity of opinion. It just picks up on what people have watched or listened to and feeds them more and more of that. That is really harmful and we need to properly tackle the social media companies in relation to their algorithms. Government must have oversight of the algorithms because they are, in themselves, very harmful. The digital tools created to cause harm, to undress women and children, have no good or moral purpose. It cannot be argued that they have any role to play in society. They are harmful tools and social media companies need to just ban them. There is no proper functioning reason for them. They have caused harm already and will continue to cause great harm.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber and his presence shows that a cross-governmental approach will need to be taken. I will touch on a few points. Chief among them is the impact of AI and social media on our democracies worldwide. We are lucky in Ireland that we have not seen our democratic system totally upended like other countries, but that is always on the horizon. In every election we have stood in, we can see the creeping influence of social media, foreign influences, the spreading of deepfakes and so on. The different examples internationally are too numerous to mention in the limited time available. The algorithm is sending people down rabbit holes and is really harmful. We are seeing extremism develop in every aspect of society.”
“If a young woman is being executed, and many young women and men are being executed, the night before the execution she has to be raped by prison wardens because if she dies a virgin she will go to heaven, and they cannot allow this. This is the reality of what is happening in Iran. This is the evil regime that Sinn Féin cannot condemn. I am watching what it is doing. The people of Ireland are watching what it is doing. Sinn Féin thinks it can get away with its actions in the European Parliament and nobody will notice. Why did Kathleen Funchion, MEP, abstain on this vote? I want an explanation as to why this-----”
“A number of weeks ago, a resolution was before the European Parliament condemning the slaughter of 30,000 people by the Iranian authorities, the use of execution as a tool of oppression of the people of Iran and the treatment of women, and supporting the Women, Life, Freedom campaign. In recent weeks, 30,000 people have been slaughtered by the Iranian regime in an attempt to suppress an uprising. People are being executed in hospital beds. They are being shot in the head, yet two Sinn Féin MEPs abstained on this resolution. Women in prison are asking families to send them in contraceptive pills because they are being raped so frequently in prison. This is how evil this Iranian regime is. Sinn Féin cannot bring itself to condemn this evil regime.”
“I thank the Minister of State for very comprehensively outlining what is contained in this Bill. I commend him, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and their officials on their work in respect of this matter. As the Minister of State outlined, the Bill aims to stimulate sustainable development and sustainable economic activity within the licensing system that is designed to protect our environment. We all want to transition to a more sustainable economy. As a result, we need a legislative framework to allow for that to happen in a timely fashion. The Minister of State outlined the timeframes contained within the Bill, which are very appropriate. They are not rushed. They are appropriate in the context of investing in businesses. I commend the Minister of State, and I will be supporting the Bill.”
“I do not know what to say to this family or what hope I can give them that, for next September, there will be a place available for him in north County Dublin.”
“I am happy to hear that the Minister of State is very much aware of the impact of reading classes and schools in transforming the lives of the young people who have been lucky enough to access them. The Government has invested a huge amount of money in mainstream and learning supports but for some children that is not enough. The severity of their dyslexia is such that they require specialised intervention in the form of a reading class. The Minister of State mentioned a report. Will he let me know when he expects that to be available? The child I referred to is just one example of many. That child is below the first percentile. What is his family to do? He is eight years old. This is the optimum time for him to access a reading class but none is available.”
“We are, however, failing children with dyslexia and they have been forgotten about over the past number of years. The impact of opening reading classes would be enormous because the children only stay for two years and then they go back to their own schools. The number of children who would go through a reading class, for example over a period of ten years, would be far greater than in a special education unit. I would like a commitment from the Minister of State that he will assess the level of demand and make provision within the Department's budget to open more reading classes in north county Dublin for the 2026-27 school year.”
“He is a beautiful, intelligent, talented and charismatic child and he needs access to specialised education. He will be adversely affected and his life will be adversely affected due to there being inadequate places. His family are distraught. They cannot access a place. He is getting great support within the school he is attending but a mainstream school with support is not sufficient and he needs a place. This story is replicated in families right across north county Dublin and right across the country. We are failing children with dyslexia by not supporting their needs. The Minister of State has put great effort into providing specialised education for children with autism and I know he is very passionate about it. We are not where we need to be but we are making great progress and there were some school announcements just this week.”
“There is huge demand and parents cannot get their kids into these classes. As well as that, the Minister of State will be aware that we have four dedicated reading schools nationally. The Catherine McAuley National School in Baggot Street here in Dublin, not far from Leinster House, takes kids from Dublin and the wider Dublin area. There are children coming from Kildare and Meath into Catherine McAuley's every day. There is also the Oliver Plunkett school in Monkstown, St. Rose's National School in Tallaght and St. Killian's school in Bishopstown, Cork. Four schools for the whole country is not much at all. A child I know in north county Dublin has been refused a place in the Catherine McAuley school. He is below the first percentile for his age group.”
“Children in the first or second percentile are most likely to be granted a place in a reading class or in one of the four specific reading schools nationally. They should have completed second class or be at least eight years old and not more than 12. This seems to be the optimal age for this hyper focus on reading skills, when they benefit most. An estimated 10% of the population has dyslexia but, as I said, these specific reading classes and reading schools are for the most impacted children. We have a very low number of reading classes in north county Dublin. There are two in the St. Oliver Plunkett school in Malahide, two in St. Molaga's in Balbriggan and two in the Holy Family Senior National School in Swords. Nationally, the figure is even far lower. We have a high population in north county Dublin and a very young population.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement debate this morning. This issue is something I am very passionate about and I have spoken to him about it previously. There is an urgent need to open more reading classes in north county Dublin for children with dyslexia, and not just in north county Dublin but nationally. Within special education provision, this area is one where we are falling down. Reading classes were first established by Micheál Martin when he was the Minister for education. They are classes for children with dyslexia, with a ratio of 9:1 and a strong focus on literacy attainment. They are specifically for children with very significant dyslexia whose basic literacy skills is very low. The children attend for two years during primary school and then return to their own schools to continue their education.”
“There are children who have gone through it and moved on to secondary education having spent their entire primary education in a couple of prefabs. They received an excellent education but they were not given the dignity of a decent school building. The town of Rush has a population of more than 12,000 and is growing exponentially. We are absorbing the housing needs of Dublin. We are getting housing and more housing but we are not getting the facilities to keep up with the housing. It is an absolute disgrace. I would really like the Leader to call on the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to come into this Chamber and have a proper debate on education and the infrastructure for education. We need to prioritise the areas that are exploding in population with young populations and not her own constituency.”
“Joseph's Secondary School has 950 students and is bursting at the seams. It is a DEIS school and it does excellent work. It has a massive waiting list and cannot cope with the number of students who want to attend. It has fantastic outcomes, fantastic leadership and fantastic education but it is being let down by the failure to provide a decent school building. The school has students who want to access special education classrooms but are unable to do so. If the new school project were given the go-ahead, it could be proceeded with immediately. That this is not possible is very disappointing. Gaelscoil Ros Eo has served the community for many years from prefabs located in a car park belonging to the GAA.”
“I wish to raise the issue of the schools building projects announced last week. The Minister, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, announced 105 projects that will be proceeding to the tender or building process imminently. We were very disappointed not to see the projects promised for Rush. These involve two school buildings on the Park Road campus: St. Joseph's Secondary School and Gaelscoil Ros Eo. These are two schools that have been waiting a long time for new buildings. We worked together for many years to acquire the land, which was a tedious process, and widen the road to the land. The project is now shovel-ready but it was not on the list released last week by the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The fury of the people of Rush over the past week has been considerable. I do not blame them. St.”
“This year, the Rotunda hospital will celebrate the delivery of its one millionth baby. With that celebration, I think that the Minister for Health should give a real commitment to the women of the northside of Dublin and put some firm plans in train for the redevelopment of the Rotunda hospital on its current site.”
“Some of the areas with the highest levels of deprivation in the country are within this region. It is also extremely ethnically diverse, which brings its own problems around extra supports needed for those women when they are expecting their babies. The hospital should be redeveloped at its current location. It can then form part of an expanded medical campus along with the Mater hospital. The metro is coming to the northside of Dublin after a lot of delays and waiting and the Rotunda hospital is ideally located. There are plans for more than 6,000 homes in the Cabra, Glasnevin and Finglas area. North County Dublin is absorbing the housing needs not only of the city, but of Ireland. Thousands of houses are being developed in Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Swords, Donabate and beyond.”
“The ageing infrastructure and severe lack of space are impacting women on the northside of Dublin. The hospital is coping with increasingly complex cases where more complex care is needed. The Dublin and north-east region, in which the Rotunda operates as the lead maternity hospital, has the largest regional population, with just under 1.2 million people. The population of this region is increasing at a higher rate than any other region in Ireland. Towns like Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Donabate and Swords are increasing in population rapidly. This is a young population, with strong demand for maternity services. These people are being failed by the completely inadequate facilities at the Rotunda. The region also has a number of areas suffering from extreme deprivation.”
“The stark headline in today’s The Irish Times is: “Dublin’s northside needs a maternity hospital that is fit for purpose”. It is a piece written by Chris Fitzpatrick, who is eminently qualified to speak about maternity services across Dublin, having worked in all three Dublin maternity hospitals. The Rotunda is delivering thousands more babies than any other hospital in the State but its plans for redevelopment have stalled. Professor Sean Daly, the master of the Rotunda, recently spoke about the severe overcrowding in the maternity hospital itself, with women in labour regularly being sent outside Dublin, so not even to one of the other Dublin maternity hospitals. Women in labour are being transferred as far away as Drogheda. This is completely unacceptable.”
“The Minister will be aware that Irish customers are paying, on average, far higher rates than the EU average for energy. It is something I hope he can examine over the coming weeks and months because we are in a very difficult situation at the moment with the rise in the cost of living. Of course, energy prices are key to that. I ask the Minister to come back to the House at a later stage for a debate on energy poverty. That would be very worthwhile. I commend the work of the Minister on the Bill. I also commend the Bill to my colleagues. We will obviously support it.”
“This investment, it is to be hoped, will ensure that. Of course, the future will see more frequent weather events, which will put pressure on our grid. The connection of new sources of renewable energy will be facilitated by the Bill. This will contribute to our resilience as a country in terms of renewable sources of energy, which will lead to a more secure geopolitical situation for us. That is to be welcomed. Of course, the underpinning of critical infrastructure outlined in our recent national development plan will be supported by this investment. I appreciate that the Minister is acting as urgently as possible. He mentioned that the investment will allow the ESB to achieve the best possible rate for electricity and borrow at the most competitive rates. This will, of course, benefit customers.”
“This is welcome. I do not need to tell the Minister the challenges communities across north county Dublin have faced with power outages. There has been unprecedented investment in housing in north county Dublin, which is of course welcome, but extra houses give rise to pressures on the electricity grid. Communities in Lusk, Donabate and, in particular, Rush have dealt with significant outages. The situation has improved, but it requires further significant improvement. I know the Minister is very aware of that. The investment is timely and I am glad it is going to happen early. I am glad pre-legislative scrutiny has been waived and the investment can get going and deliver for people. The resilience of the grid is key. There are more frequent and fiercer storms due to climate change, which means our grid has to be far more resilient.”
“I welcome this Bill. I thank the Minister for giving such a comprehensive outline of the measures contained within it. Delivery of critical infrastructure is key for the economic and social well-being of this country. This €1.5 billion investment is significant and will help with the delivery of that critical infrastructure. The Minister outlined projects such as extra housing, which is very badly needed, and the MetroLink project. This investment will help to deliver that. Electricity infrastructure is crucial for our growing population. The Minister outlined how our electricity demands are going to double over the coming years. That is really significant. As we are learning to work smarter and have a more modern economy, this electricity infrastructure is vital. As we move away from fossil fuels, it will become more vital.”
“On the increased costs on businesses from the insurance companies, the ire being directed at the Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, is misdirected. We all know the current mechanisms lie within the legislation passed by the previous Minister for justice. I will leave it at that.”
“The report published a few weeks ago contained some really shocking statistics. It is the greatest challenge that lies ahead of us as a society. I wish to refer to two other issues if I may, a Chathaoirligh. We all support decreasing costs for our third level students, but let us be real about this - it is the Minister for Finance who holds the purse strings. That is where the power lies. The Minister for Finance during the previous budget, Deputy Chambers, issued the funding to the Department of higher education to decrease the fees paid by families. It is up to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to do that this year. Let us be very clear that is where the power lies on this. I am very glad all our colleagues on the Fine Gael side are on board with that, so let us go away and talk to their Minister for Finance about that.”
“I want to raise a couple of matters on the Order of Business but directly refer to the matter raised by Senator Keogan. My heart goes out to the family, friends and children of the latest victim of gender-based violence on this island. Sarah Montgomery was murdered. She was pregnant. She was the mother of two children. When are we going to get real as a society? The number of women, and mothers, being killed in their own homes at the hands of people known to them is shocking. We should not be shocked at this stage because it happens so frequently. We need a whole-of-society approach to fixing this problem because it affects women right across the board. We need to talk about this more and to drill down into the reasons this is happening and why there has been an increase.”
“We need to look at it seriously before it impacts on very significantly sized communities. BusConnects needs to be for the future. A lot of housing is being planned in all of these areas. While that is fine, we need the infrastructure to go along with that. We have completely inadequate public transport infrastructure as it is and this BusConnects plan will make it worse. Would the Leader mind inviting the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, to the House to discuss the roll-out of BusConnects?”
“We need a bus service that matches the population of these towns and villages. I will run through the population figures: Balbriggan, 26,000; Skerries, 11,000; Rush, 11,000; and Lusk, 9,000. These towns are significant-sized towns and they will be left without a direct bus service. The rail service serving some of these towns is adequate but it does not serve Rush and Lusk as well because the train station is quite a distance from both towns and it is not accessible for most people who do not have a car to drive to the station. We need buses that bring people from these towns directly into the city without a changeover. I would like the Minister to come to the House and discuss the roll-out of BusConnects. There are many good things contained in the plan but this removal of the 33 bus is not one of them.”
“I call on the Leader to invite the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, to the House for a debate on the roll-out of BusConnects. I was at a meeting last night in Lusk attended by representatives from Skerries, Loughshinny, Lusk and Rush, who are very concerned about the removal of the only direct service to the city, the No. 33 bus, which is due to be implemented next year. The communities have come together because we are very concerned about the lack of a direct bus. It will be replaced under the BusConnects plan with a bus service that will bring people to Swords where they will have to switch over and get another bus. That is completely unsatisfactory because it makes the journey longer and more difficult for commuters from Skerries, Lusk, Rush and Loughshinny.”
“That then spirals and huge harms are done to the person and their family. We need a good debate with the Minister in this House specifically on addiction services for women. I would appreciate it if the Leader could organise this debate.”
“I also raise the issue of Fiona Pender and the search for her body that is under way. Senator O'Loughlin raised this matter. It is a story that has haunted us all. We all want a good outcome for her brother, now her only serving next-of-kin, whereby her body and that of her unborn baby - Fiona was seven months pregnant - are found. I raise the need for a debate in the House regarding addiction services for women in particular. We know from the statistics that women face specific barriers in accessing services. There is a stigma attached to women suffering from alcohol, drug or gambling addictions, which can be very disruptive in their lives. Women are often reluctant to come forward at an early stage and to seek support because quite often they fear that their children will be taken into care if they do so.”
“I am also a victim although not quite of catfishing. Somebody took my identity, formed an identity online and pretended to be me online. The harm that did to me and my family was shocking. People need to realise that it is not some harmless fun. There are real impacts on people, and real consequences should follow those impacts. I commend Senator O'Loughlin and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on taking this legislation. I know Senator O'Loughlin will work with the Department to strengthen this. I hope it will be enacted in very short course because we need to have modern laws to deal with modern crimes.”
“I commend Senator O'Loughlin on introducing this Bill. It is essential in this day and age that we have effective laws to combat very serious crimes. Previous speakers have outlined the emotional, physical and financial risks of catfishing. However, emotional damage is also done through catfishing. I have spoken to some people who were catfished and they pointed to the loss of trust in people and the loss of trust in doing anything online. Our lives are becoming increasingly online. When dealing with a bank or a shop we have bought from, we are communicating online. People who have been catfished feel that their trust in any form of digital communication has been blown out of the water, which makes it very difficult to operate in society. This is really timely legislation to come before the House.”
“We need to increase the wages for everybody in the sector because they are doing such valuable work and to encourage men into it. Another issue came up yesterday. A childcare provider within my constituency contacted me. It is very difficult to get work permits for people to work in early years education if those workers are from outside of the European Union. The Minister said the issue of attracting people into the industry is impeding childcare facilities in expanding places. If that could be looked at, it would go a long way to creating extra capacity within the system. I wish the Minister the best of luck. There is a big body of work ahead. A lot of work was done over the lifetime of the previous Government. I support the core funding that was brought in by the previous Minister.”
“If people are finding it hard to access childcare for their first child, they are not exactly encouraged to go on to have a second and third. This needs to be looked at from an all-government point of view. What the Minister is doing is very welcome. I look forward to that public investment. The childcare fees coming down to €200 over the lifetime of this Government would be fantastic and is to be welcomed. I support my colleague, Senator Alison Comyn, on the role of men working within childcare. My own two children were lucky to go to a fantastic crèche that had some male early years educators who a huge impact on their lives. We need to encourage more men into the sector. There is probably an issue with low pay in the sector. Low pay generally attracts women. It is a whole balancing act we need to get right.”
“That is not something that should be supported or encouraged by a lack of public policy around providing facilities to offer childcare places for children under the age of two. I would like to see the Minister address this because people need to be able to access childcare that is suitable for their family and when it suits them. Many people take a number of years off with their children and that is supported. If women want to return to work before their child is aged two, however, there are very few options available and it creates a huge headache. We have to look at an holistic approach with the issues coming down the line with population growth. We need to be able to support families, support people to have the number of children they want to have, and support families through a whole host of issues.”
“When couples are buying their houses in new communities, whether in north County Dublin or in other areas, they do so with the expectation that they will be able to live their lives, that they will be able to continue their jobs and pay their mortgages. When they get to a point where they have a child, however, the waiting lists are too long for the very few childcare facilities available within a particular area. Often these childcare facilities do not take children under the age of two. That then requires somebody in the household, primarily women, to give up their jobs because they can only take up to a maximum of a year off after having a child. That brings a whole host of problems.”
“The Minister said this is to complement existing childcare facilities, and of course we will have to operate a hybrid model, but this public investment in facilities within communities is to be welcomed. The Minister said this is to deliver in areas where there is unmet need, and let me tell you, in north County Dublin there is unmet need for childcare. Unprecedented numbers of houses are being built but we do not have the childcare facilities. Quite simply, builders make a bigger profit from building and selling houses. Obviously, Government policy is to deliver houses and we all support that, but we need to build communities alongside housing.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad to talk about this important issue. She is going to do well in this role. It complements her previous role as Minister for Education because the education of children is on the same spectrum. As the Minister outlined, there has been unprecedented investment in early years education over the past number of years. Childcare fees for parents have been slashed. Investment in pay and conditions and support for early years education has been unprecedented as well. The educators are getting the support that they deserve. The statement the Minister made relating to State-owned facilities promised in the programme for Government is important. I have been calling for this for years. We need to move to a publicly funded childcare model.”
“The people of Balbriggan and Skerries getting the train every day are coming in and working here in the Houses of the Oireachtas, city centre offices and businesses across the city. They are part of Dublin city. They come into Dublin city to go to school, university and sports events. They are part of Dublin city, like the rest of the city, yet they are being treated the same as people living in counties Louth, Kildare or Wicklow. It just does not make sense that they are made to pay this cost. It is policy matter and it is something the Minister can engage with. I would like the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, to go back to the NTA and not treat people who are culturally part of Dublin city, and who contribute to Dublin city daily, as something else.”
“I am well aware the Department and the Minister are not involved in day-to-day operations of public transport, but the opening paragraph of the Minister of State's response stated that the Minister is responsible for policy. This is why I am asking for engagement. It is the policy of the Government to encourage people onto public transport, to lessen the burden of cost on commuters and to make fares fairer. Balbriggan and Skerries have been caught in this Dublin commuter zone. The Minister of State named a number of other stations in the commuter zone - Rathdrum, Kildare, Enfield and Drogheda. None of those stations is in Dublin. The point I am making is that these are two Dublin stations.”
“Will the Minister of State respond and engage with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and the NTA to see whether there can be a workaround for the commuters of Skerries and Balbriggan?”