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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“I do not want to let this matter slip from the attention of the new Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, Deputy Foley, visited the school last June when she was the Minister for Education, as did the Taoiseach, when he was the Tánaiste, in November. They saw the great education the children receive in the school but also the completely inadequate facilities. The people of Rush are proud of this school and the education it has delivered for generations in Rush. They are invested in its success, but the delivery of the school building is needed. When I was out knocking on doors last November, people were telling me that when their children started school, they were told the new school would be delivered within a couple of years.”
“There is huge demand on school places and autism classrooms and the principal of Rush National School, Morgan Doran, wants to deliver this school so that he can cater for the huge demand in the area. The school is not fit for purpose. I am raising this Commencement matter to see whether we can get some information as to where the project is at. While the school wants to engage positively and collaboratively with the Department of Education, there is a complete lack of information coming from the Department with regard to the progress of this project. Given the long history I have outlined, including the lapsing of the planning permissions and the need for constant renewal of planning permissions, the lack of information coming from the Department is concerning. The school needs to be delivered.”
“While it was renewed on a couple of occasions due to it expiring, it finally expired on 8 December 2024. A fresh planning application was required and this is currently in process. It is a school of some 700 pupils. It was built in 1953 and is completely inadequate. A new 32-classroom school needs to be delivered that will also have two autism classrooms, which are really badly needed, particularly in light of the previous Commencement matter. The same demand is seen throughout north County Dublin. Rush has a big population with more than 11,000 people and is increasing rapidly. Thousands of houses are being built and delivered in north County Dublin and Rush is at the centre of that.”
“I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad to discuss this important matter. As he knows, I am passionate about the delivery of services for my constituency. One of my top priorities is the delivery of a new school building for Rush National School. It is a matter I have continuously raised in the Seanad and one we need to keep raising and pressing the Department on because this is a project that has been in the offing for 18 years. The school leadership, under Morgan Doran, and the board of management have been pressing this. The previous principal, Margaret Dobinson, started the campaign. It has been a long and sorry history, which I will bring the Minister of State briefly through. Approval was obtained in 2010 and planning permission was granted in 2013.”
“Even though it does not have a material difference on the face of it, as the Minister outlined, there are risks involved if we are not at the negotiating table. There is a risk our common travel area with the UK, which we know is very important, could be undermined. I am fully supportive of this and I think most parties will be too. The avenues for young people to embark on exchanges, to work and to learn about each other have been considerably narrowed since Brexit. If we look back to the origins of the EU, the reason it was established was to create better understanding, co-operation and to avoid war. In the very difficult times we are living in, anything that can help promote peace, prosperity, understanding, cultural exchange or education can only be welcomed.”
“As somebody who is out and about in my constituency talking to people, it is really good that they know there are more gardaí being recruited. There is a lot of work there and we know the Minister is going to do a very good job. I look forward to working with him. He has considerable experience as a Dublin city councillor and as a TD as well as from his professional background as a lawyer. The Minister is very well equipped for this job and no doubt many challenges lie ahead. This is one of the easier matters for the Minister to come to the House with because we all agree it is very worthwhile. It might be politically difficult in other quarters down the line but we can all see the benefits to our opting into this scheme.”
“Congratulations to the Leas-Chathaoirleach on her election. I had the great fortune of knowing Tras Honan. She was a mighty woman and it is fantastic that we have one of her successors among us. I know the Senator's rate of work and how fair and dedicated she is to the job. I look forward to working with her. It is a testament to her tenacity and hard work over the years that she is in this position. I hope she enjoys today as it is a big day for her. The Minister is very welcome on his first visit to the Seanad as Minister for Justice. He has hit the ground running and we in Fianna Fáil are very proud of the pace of work he has set for himself and the confidence he is instilling within his office. People feel he is on their side.”