Louise O'Reilly
Dublin Fingal West · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I welcome this debate this afternoon and am happy to be able to make a small contribution to it. I grew up in a Border town. I ended up in that town because my father was a trade union organiser who represented workers on both sides of the Border for a long number of years and, in fact, went on to be based in the North for a long time.”
“I am fortunate enough to represent a constituency that is very firmly in the Dublin–Belfast economic corridor. Before partition, as we know, Belfast was a thriving industrial powerhouse. Partition put a lid on the potential of that city to grow and flourish.”
“When we talk about Irish unity, we should frame that discussion as one about potential for growth, the potential for all-Ireland working and all-Ireland business. Between Belfast and Dublin, there are five universities, numerous colleges of further education and training, and businesses that are ready to scale up.”
“As the debate on Irish unity advances, and it is advancing despite what some of the people opposite would like to happen, we need to frame that discussion in a positive way. We need to look clearly for those opportunities while acknowledging the challenges. We are not blind to the challenges.”
“If her letter does not have any impact - let us be honest; it has not had any impact - the Minister of State might outline what he will do that might go a bit further than writing a letter. We know that devices are essential. We know that parents want their kids to be able to participate.”
“I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion. I was chatting to my dad as I was coming in and told him I would be debating this motion in relation to supports for parents this morning. He reminded me, of course, that it was the Labour Party in government that cut those very supports.”
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“At no time was this more acute than when the Government appeared to trivialise the impact felt by people when the stores of frozen food went bad. I pay tribute to our emergency services, to the first responders, to those who came from abroad to assist, to the officials in the Department of Social Protection and especially to those volunteers who manned and womaned, if the House will forgive me the use of that word, the community centres and the hubs. We spoke about this during Question Time last week, and one of the things it highlighted was the deficit in infrastructure, in bricks and mortar, in buildings where people could go to gather. It was really stark in some areas that there simply was not a place that was fit for purpose.”
“I am sharing time. The fallout from Storm Éowyn was, for households, businesses and farms alike, unprecedented in its scale. While the majority of the country experienced disruptions to essential infrastructure for a matter of days, I remind the House that a significant number of people's essential needs that depended on water, power, transport and telecommunications infrastructure went unmet for weeks, with 133,000 households applying for support through the humanitarian assistance scheme. Businesses and farmers who endured property damage throughout the country were entirely excluded, with no alternatives provided. The overwhelming consensus from applicants is a feeling of being let down and forgotten about.”
“We will continue engaging with the business community to monitor emerging needs and ensure appropriate responses are in place."; notes with concern that: — some 768,000 homes, farms and businesses were left without electricity in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, with power only being restored to all homes by 12th February; — some 270,000 homes were left without internet access in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn with EirGrid taking over two weeks to restore broadband to every affected customer; — figures indicate that damage to households will total almost €112 million, while commercial claims will run to just under €122 million; — no humanitarian assistance was provided to businesses or farms; — the HAS appeared to have closed for an unspecified period of time, and without informing the public; — thus far, of the 133,774 applications from people in need made to the HAS, only 45,744 has been paid out, that is to say, only 34 per cent of applications to the HAS were ever paid out; — differing reports suggest that Stage 1 claims were compensated on an ad-hoc case by case basis with no clear instructions on what items merited compensation; and — to this day, the HAS has only paid out €10.5 million in financial support to applicants, and this is blatantly insufficient given the extent of property damage in the wake of the storm; commends the work of our frontline ESB, EirGrid and Uisce Éireann workers, together with emergency responders, carers, logistics and supply chain workers and community hub volunteers, volunteers from local GAA clubs and men and women's sheds and other voluntary organisations who worked to relieve the effects of the storm; condemns the Government for: — failing to provide clear instructions to departmental staff dealing with HAS application forms to determine what was and was not covered under the scheme; and — closing the scheme without informing the public; and calls on the Government to: — provide clarity as to the duration of the scheme's application window; — expand the HAS to businesses and farmers; — ensure a thorough and timely fulfilment of reviews submitted by HAS applicants who have been refused or are not satisfied with the amount awarded; and — put forward a comprehensive climate adaptation strategy to ensuring all communities will be climate resistant by 2050.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Storm Éowyn made landfall in Ireland on 23rd January, 2025, breaking all-time record wind speeds; and — the scale of damage and disruption to transport, energy, water, telecommunications and internet services was unprecedented, exposing the fragility of our infrastructure, in the face of an ever-worsening climate crisis; further notes that: — the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), was activated on the 23rd January, 2025, to assist all those affected across the country by Storm Éowyn; — the scheme was intended to offer immediate supports, including to provide food or shelter (Stage 1); replacement of white goods and other essential household items (Stage 2); or to provide supports to ensure the home or accommodation of the applicant was brought back to a habitable condition in the aftermath of a storm (Stage 3); — those right across the country were encouraged to apply for the scheme, with the Taoiseach assuring the public that the scheme was "open to those in need"; and — the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke TD, assured the public that "The Government remains committed to supporting businesses through this recovery period and beyond.”
“While they have achieved very little beyond pay rises for themselves and jobs for the boys, they have succeeded in one thing; they have shown the Opposition can come together and act collectively when we need to.”
“-----and all of the changes to Standing Orders in the world will not alter that fact. To collude in an absurdity like that does the Office of the Ceann Comhairle no favours and I suspect the Ceann Comhairle knows that herself. The actual Opposition has tabled an amendment to the motion and I urge Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and indeed, the Lowry group, to consider this amendment, which simply recognises the fact that if the Ceann Comhairle is to fulfil her obligations under Standing Order 10, she should retain the confidence of both the Government and the Opposition. Surely, that is the minimum we can expect. The label "do nothing Government" has been attached, quite rightly, to this Government.”
“The question we have asked and asked again remains unanswered. Is there no limit to the lengths this Government will go to protect Deputy Lowry and the grubby little deal? He has given a very clear two-fingered salute to the Dáil and to the people in it. Last week, we saw his contempt writ large, and the response is to give him extra speaking time. All of this was facilitated by the Ceann Comhairle. It is patently absurd to suggest that any TD can be in opposition and government at the same time-----”
“That is why the job of the Ceann Comhairle is particularly important in this Dáil and the impartiality and fairness of that role must be absolute. The appointment of the Ceann Comhairle was the subject of some horse-trading by all accounts. Of course, until the Lowry deal is published, we will not know the price taxpayers will have to pay for her to get the job but we do know, as a result of this deal, the Lowry group got their woman in. In attempting to ram through the farce that the Lowry group can be in opposition and government at the same time, some people say the Ceann has proved her worth to the Government. My colleague, an Teachta Mary Lou McDonald, put on the record the views of Deputy Lowry himself, the "political manoeuvring", as he called it, that had to be undertaken and all of that, we know, was done in secret.”
“In this Chamber, we talk a lot about accountability but we know this Government, made up of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry group, has shown itself to be absolutely allergic to accountability. In the election campaign, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael told us they would hit a figure of 40,000 homes, even though they were told repeatedly by their own experts that this figure was a massive overinflation. They persisted with it. Even today, they cannot find even a scrap of humility to admit they were telling untruths. Their past performance tells us they need to be held firmly to account because they will be off with more fibs, more untruths or whatever word you want to put on it, the moment they get the chance.”
“It has asked me to convey that it is very happy to meet to discuss that. We very much welcome the Bill. We also support the proposal from Deputy Kelly that it would be fitting to name it in honour of John O'Meara's deceased partner Michelle. We look forward to working with the Minister and his officials to bring this through all stages as quickly as possible and to make it as strong as possible.”
“We know that there are families who suffered a bereavement and subsequently paid a high price financially, and they want to see this recognised by the State. Where do they stand if their bereavement predates January 2024? In some instances they are still dealing with the financial fallout as well as the emotional impact. I understand the concept that although something possibly may have been unconstitutional, it was not officially unconstitutional until it was declared as such. While I fully appreciate the established precedent, given that the numbers are tiny, some consideration should be given to recognising that there are some people whose bereavements predate the O'Meara judgment. Treoir also wants to know whether the widow's or surviving civil partner grant, the once-off payment, will be backdated for families beyond January 2024.”
“It believes entitlement to the bereaved partner's pension should be expanded to cover divorced and separated partners who are not remarried or cohabiting and who are financially dependent on the deceased ex-partner in respect of their children. It further believes that to give effect to the recommendation of the Oireachtas social protection committee, the 2025 Bill needs to be amended to ensure that the current definitions, which include certain divorced and separated people, are not removed and that the new definition of qualified cohabitants is expanded to include certain separated qualified cohabitants. Concern has been expressed by the organisation Treoir. It has rightly pointed out that the discrimination against these families did not start in January 2024 and it, like me, would like to see an expanded element of retrospection.”
“It is the same for couples who are together but have not formally registered their relationship. They are as close and as loving as those who have a piece of paper to recognise their relationship. As I have said, I welcome the legislation. I will work with the Minister to ensure that any necessary improvements are made and that this legislation makes its way through all stages without any delay. There are a number of areas where I think it might be appropriate to make amendments. I will be submitting these at subsequent stages to reflect my concerns, many of which are shared by representative organisations. I would suggest that the Minister should find time to engage directly and to hear those concerns first hand. FLAC has advised that we should ensure strict compliance with the O'Meara judgment.”
“There are other similar cases and although the numbers are small, there will be people whose bereavements predate the O'Meara judgment and they will ask questions about retrospection. When I was preparing my few words for this debate, I thought back to my own marriage which was a very long time ago. It was in the last century, in fact. I genuinely had absolutely no interest whatsoever in getting married or in being married. The concept of being someone's wife did not sit well with me at all. We did get married but we got married because we had a child and also because we found the time and space to do it. Not everybody does. Being married did not mean I loved my husband any more or any less. It did not make our relationship any stronger or any different from what it was before.”
“I welcome the progress of this Bill. I thank members of my own and other parties and specifically Deputy Kelly for keeping this issue firmly on the political agenda for the past number of years. I also thank the Minister's officials for facilitating a briefing with the Opposition earlier this week and for taking our questions. It is very important to remember that what brought us here was a grieving partner and family having to take to the courts to ensure this change will happen. It must have been so difficult for John O'Meara and his family to have to take this case. It is very regrettable that he was left with no option other than the legal route. We know Mr. O'Meara is not alone.”
“Even if the Minister said that the target was to find those areas that could not step up during Storm Éowyn and begin with them, failure to set a target is a mistake because by setting targets, deadlines are driven and delivery is ensured.”
“This is where we might have a small disagreement, because I absolutely agree with the Minister that it has to be community-led, but setting the targets will not interfere with that in any way, shape or form. The setting of targets actually gives a focus. The Minister was not doing the communities any favours when he suggested that they could work not to a deadline or a target because they can. There is quite an amount of disillusionment with regard to the commitment that this Government has to regeneration, particularly in rural Ireland. The nature of the fabric was actually exposed during Storm Éowyn. As the Minister mentioned, some communities were able to be very resilient because they had bricks-and-mortar facilities and places to go, and others that had the bricks-and-mortar facilities were not suitable.”
“Unfortunately, while the Minister's answer detailed some top-line figures, he did not give any specifics in terms of targets, such as targets for the number of community centres that will be opened or targets for how the Government will address the inequality. We know there is massive inequality in both urban and rural Ireland. What we do not know is how the Government is going to address it. I understand the SICAP programme and the other programme, and they are working away, but is there anything specific in terms of deliverables for 2025 that the Minister has set for his Department and other organisations to deliver?”
“I thank the Minister. I do not want to be argumentative, and I am absolutely committed to working across the House to ensure that we address issues regarding inequality. While I thanked the Minister for his reply, there were no specifics in it and this is where my issue is. What we need to see is, for example, a target for the number of community centres. We all know that a community centre, a physical place where a community can come together - a bricks-and-mortar building - can be the driving force in a community in order for it to start combatting inequality within its own area. People need help, however.”
“My question, as is my form, is very straightforward. Will the Minister outline the plans that he has to address the economic and social inequality in 2025 in both urban and rural areas? What specific initiatives will he progress? If he could confine it to this year, I would be interested to know the scale of the ambition for the Department in terms of deliverables, KPIs and any indicators or targets that will be set.”
“If it valued the Defence Forces, members of the Government would do more than come in here and simply parrot meaningless words but would back them up with action. The Government does not do that. The members of the Defence Forces see the Government for what it is.”
“In his contribution, the Minister of State spoke about and paid tribute to the Defence Forces. I join him in that. However, the Government does not match its tributes with meaningful action. There is now a phenomenon in our Defence Forces whereby people are not even serving their full time but are resigning. They are not waiting until retirement. The Government has made the Defence Forces a deeply unattractive place to work and the members are telling it that by leaving. If the Government valued the Defence Forces, it would implement the European working time directive. If it valued the Defence Forces, it would ensure the members have a safe and decent place to work and are paid appropriately.”
“They value our neutrality and the triple lock. The ask here is simple. If the Government is so sure it is right, it should put the question to the people and let them have their say. If the Government is sure it is right and understands the importance of the issue, which I believe it does, it should put the question to the people and let them have their say. This is a serious matter. We should have a conversation about neutrality and the triple lock and all the people should be involved. This Government wants to take us in a very dangerous direction but it will not do so with the assistance of Sinn Féin. The triple lock is at the core of our neutrality and while it clearly means nothing to this Government, it is important to ordinary people. The Government should let the people decide.”
“I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion and giving us the chance to have this important debate. Here we have another day and another U-turn. Today's U-turn sees Fianna Fáil move even closer to Fine Gael. At some point they are going to have to acknowledge that there is virtually no difference between the two parties. We have come to expect the hawkish views of Fine Gael. We are used to them. We see them beating their chests and all the rest of it. When we hear the Tánaiste talk about fighter jets, we are not surprised. However, the enthusiastic support for militarisation is new to Fianna Fáil. Like all the poor decisions Fianna Fáil has made, we can be sure it will embrace it enthusiastically. While the Government and the Lowry group have no regard for the triple lock, the people of this State do.”
“They will say that the lack of support from the State means that the young carer has to grow up too fast and that they effectively will not have a childhood. Young carers make up the shortfall for the State. They deserve to be recognised.”
“These young people are saving the State a fortune by taking on caring responsibilities, but the impact on their education has to be acknowledged. Now that the issue of young carers is on the agenda, I take this opportunity to urge the Government to listen to the voices of young carers directly about the impact that combining the work of caring with their ordinary lives is having on them and what they need to be put in place to support them. I have spoken to parents who are absolutely wracked with guilt because they rely on the care given by young family members. They worry that they are not having the childhood they deserve and that they are missing out on activities and fun with their friends. Sometimes, they are forced to miss out on their education.”
“The impact this work has on a child and his or her development cannot be understated. As well as the work they do - caring for a family member is work, and we should not be shy about saying it - there is a great deal that carers, and young carers in particular, do not do. They miss out on so many of the positive aspects of being a young person. They miss out on education, socialising and having the time to simply be themselves. While they do it willingly, it is work and deserves to be recognised as such. The motion calls for the putting in place of a range of supports and measures specifically aimed at young carers. That is welcome. I hope the Minister will take the suggestions on board. The issue of returning to education in particular is one which I believe is urgent and pressing.”
“I welcome the visitors in the Public Gallery. I also welcome this motion and thank the Deputies who brought it forward. I thank those carers and their representative organisations who are campaigning for the abolition of the means test for the carer’s payment. They have had a serious impact and have forced the Government into making a commitment. However, we know how much a commitment from this Government is actually worth. For that reason, we will keep the pressure on until this cruel means test is abolished. We could talk all day about the valuable work done by carers. I remind Deputies that just because they do that work with love, does not mean they should be taken advantage of. Some of that work is being done by children who are not yet of working age. It deserves to be recognised.”
“There is nowhere for them to rent - I think we can all agree on that - and emergency accommodation is not where people want to go, particularly if they have kids who have additional or special needs or if they themselves have special needs. I am dealing with a man in his 60s who is overholding. The stress of that is absolutely incredible. They are waiting for information from the Minister's Department with regard to a homeless prevention measure in the middle of a housing crisis the Government has caused. I really do not get any sense of urgency from the Minister this morning with regard to this, and I will convey that back to my constituents, but it will give me absolutely no pleasure to do it.”
“The advice people are given is that their application will be noted, and a member of the team will be in contact once they have further details and clarity from the Minister's Department. It is, therefore, incredibly important that he gets that information out as soon as possible. It is long overdue but as is often the case with this Government, it might be better late than never. We are talking about human beings. The stress of this is unbelievable. I am not sure if it gets through to the Minister what it must be like to go to sleep every night and to just not know. People do not want to overhold, but they are being advised that this might be the only option because there is nowhere else for them to go.”
“There is no private rented accommodation in my constituency - absolutely none, zero. That advice is quite frankly insulting. Just so the Minister knows, this woman told me it is hopeless. She said she cannot sleep with the stress. She works nights, and she spends her days awake, frantic, worrying about where she, her daughters and grandchildren are going to live. If the council has that information from the Minister, that is welcome. However, what it needs is an instruction from the Minister's Department to get going on purchasing these homes. As I said, for the avoidance of any doubt, it is a homeless prevention measure for people who are not successful under this scheme or who have to leave because the scheme takes too long and who are going into emergency accommodation. There is no rental accommodation for them.”
“I am looking for the specifics with regard to 2025 as well. I have constituents but I am not going to give the Minister too many details because it is absolutely mortifying for people to have their entire private lives traipsed across the Dáil. I know a woman who is the survivor of domestic abuse, and so is one of her daughters who she is living with. It is herself, her daughters and her grandchildren. They have now been given a notice to quit, and the advice they got from the council was that if they were in receipt of a valid notice to quit to contact the homeless services. People are told that if they have a housing application with another local authority, they should direct it to the parent authority and if they do not have one, they can join the housing list. People are advised to get themselves private rented accommodation.”
“The question is a fairly straightforward one. I am looking for some information regarding the tenant in situ scheme. It genuinely seems like the third or fourth secret of Fatima, or whatever it is. Trying to get information out of the county council can be incredibly difficult but it should not be because this is a very important intervention. It is a homeless prevention measure. For the avoidance of any doubt, any person who applies for the tenant in situ scheme and does not get it is given some very helpful advice by the county council, but the Minister and I both know they are just heading straight into emergency accommodation.”
“We cannot ignore, however, what is a serious issue of health, safety and welfare for the women working here in this Oireachtas and for that reason, I expect that the serious questions I have asked about my workplace will be answered and will be answered in here on the floor of this Dáil.”
“The questions are very simple and the answers should come very quickly from the Fine Gael Party. The questions I put to the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, were: When did you become aware that Senator Martin Conway was under investigation? Did Senator Martin Conway contact you on receipt of the complaint made against him in 2020? Did you advise Senator Martin Conway in relation to the complaint made against him? Did you or Fine Gael obtain the services of a solicitor to act on behalf of Senator Martin Conway? Did you inform the Houses of the Oireachtas or the gardaí in relation to the serious allegations? Every International Women's Day since I have been elected we come in here and, genuinely, I could have just printed out the previous statements I have made on this because very little changes.”
“I was a union organiser before I was elected to this House and health, safety and welfare at work is very important to me. It is no less important here in my current workplace. I will not tolerate any ambiguity and I will not be silenced when I raise issues of concern. I have read, as we all have, in media reports about the inappropriate behaviour of a sitting Fine Gael Senator. I have asked questions of An Tánaiste, the leader of Fine Gael, Deputy Simon Harris, and yesterday I wrote to the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, who was Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad when these incidents occurred. I put these questions onto the record and I expect they will be answered. As I have said, health, safety and welfare at work is really important and it is no less important for us here as women working in the Oireachtas.”
“Níl an deis acu taisteal ar scoil go neamhspleách sa tslí chéanna le daltaí i scoileanna a n-oibríonn trí Bhéarla. Cad a mhothaíonn na daltaí nuair atá a gcairde agus a gcomharsana ábalta taisteal go héasca go scoileanna eile? Cén mheas atá ar an teanga féin sa sainchás seo? Tá géarghá le scoil lán-Ghaeilge i Sord agus Mullach Íde freisin. Ba chóir go mbeadh cothrom na Féinne ag daltaí a dhéanann an rogha a dteanga féin a fhoghlaim agus a labhairt. Is é ár dteanga féin í. Ní bhaineann sé le grúpa beag amháin ach le chuile dhuine ar an oileán seo. Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuilim ag foghlaim, mar aon leis an gCeann Comhairle féin agus leis an Aire.”
“Tá an scoil seo tar éis dul ó neart go neart de bharr na hoibre déine atá déanta ag foireann na scoile, na tuismitheoirí agus na scoláirí. Tá siad uilig ag cur ár dteanga chun cinn agus táimid uilig an-bhródúil astu. Tá an daonra is óige againn sa Stát. Caithfimid cinntiú go mbeidh an deis ag gach páiste a chuid oideachais a bhaint amach trí theanga dhúchais na tíre seo. Ní hamháin sin, ach caithfimid cinntiú go mbeidh an rogha sin éasca dóibh. Ba chóir dúinn páistí a spreagadh chun foghlaim tríd an teanga. Cén teachtaireacht a sheolann sé nuair nach féidir leo fiú bus a fháil ó áiteanna cosúil leis an Aill agus Ráth Eanaigh go dtí an mheánscoil? I gcroílár an mhéid seo, níl cothrom na Féinne á thabhairt do dhaltaí a bhfuil fonn orthu foghlaim trí theanga na tíre seo.”
“Gabhaim buíochas le hEolan Ó Rinn agus le hEoghan Finn as oifig an Teachta Ó Snodaigh. Is é sin an chéad am a bheidh mé ag caint as Gaeilge sa Dáil seo. Táim neirbhíseach. Níl confidence mór agam agus tá support mór agam ó na Teachtaí Doherty, Farrell agus Ó Snodaigh, ó Eoghan agus Eolan agus ó gach duine i mo pháirtí a bhfuil grá don teanga acu. Is scoil den scoth í Coláiste Ghlór na Mara i mBaile Brigín. Bhí an feachtas le haghaidh meánscoil lán-Ghaeilge an-dian agus táimid uilig bródúil as Coláiste Ghlór na Mara, atá ina pobalscoil iontach. D'osclaíodh an scoil in 2014 le 27 scoláire. Anois tá breis agus 500 ann. Is léir go bhfuil oideachas lán-Ghaeilge ag teastáil ó mhuintir Chontae Bhaile Átha Cliath thuaidh agus in oirthear chontae na Mí.”
“She is now in danger - imagine saying this - of being offered a house because she has been on the housing list for so long. Members of An Garda Síochána have told her it will not be safe for her to return to Dublin city. She does not want to. Her children do not want to. She definitely cannot return there for her own safety, yet she finds herself in a situation whereby if she is given an offer of a house and refuses it she will be put off the list for a year – the Minister knows the drill. She has been put in an impossible situation. Gardaí have told her not to go back to Dublin city centre. She has submitted evidence from gardaí and letters from domestic violence groups to the council. She needs someone to take a decision to help. I ask the Minister to intervene.”
“Whether it is open drug dealing at the all-weather pitch in Balbriggan, cars being vandalised in Skerries, antisocial behaviour in Rush or theft from shops in Lusk, the plea from my community is the same, namely, we want a visible Garda presence on our streets and in our communities and estates. People deserve to feel safe and the people I represent deserve to feel safe. In the few seconds I have remaining, I am going to raise a case I have raised in here on a number of occasions and, for the avoidance of any doubt, I will continue to raise it until there is a resolution. There is a young women who lives in my constituency. She was brutally and viciously assaulted by her partner. Some 14 years ago, she went on the housing list in Dublin City Council. She has had to leave Dublin city. She lives in north County Dublin.”
“I represent the constituency of Dublin Fingal West, which is in the DMR north region. In that region from 2019 to 2024 we have seen a 21% increase in the possession of drugs for sale or supply. It is all very well to see the figure, but it means that in my community and the communities I represent people are subjected daily to the sight of open drug dealing. Nobody wants that on their doorstep and nobody deserves to have that on their doorstep, but it is becoming a feature. I represent one of the fastest-growing constituencies in this State. The men and women of An Garda Síochána are doing their best but they are dealing with underfunding, with the cuts and with the fact the Garda stations that were closed still have not been reopened. The population is growing but the number of gardaí is not keeping pace with that.”
“Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Transport to please intervene in this matter, get an up-to-date picture and assess whether the deadlines as laid out in the original contract can be met safely for the safety of the crews, staff and all the people they are there to help?”
“I wish to raise issues with search and rescue operations. As the Taoiseach will be aware, Bristow Ireland Limited won the contract and is in the process of transitioning and taking over operations. The Department of Transport has said it will not allow risks to be taken in a rush to meet contractual deadlines. It further stated it recognises the need to revise transition dates to ensure overall safety and that this will be done if required. Concerns have been raised directly with me on the speed of this transition. I do not want to scaremonger and I certainly do not want to get into the details here, as I am sure the Taoiseach does not want to either.”
“Far too many children are going home to their parents asking them where they will be going to school. The parents do not know, which really causes them a great deal of stress. They do not know whether their children will have to get transport. They cannot make plans. Very often in my constituency, both parents will be working and commuting long hours to get to and from work. They need some certainty.”
“Will there be communication from the Department? The schools are writing to the Department and I am the parents' last port of call. They try everything else before they come to me. They have already been through all the steps. Maybe the Minister of State can tell me what I am supposed to say to them. They understand the point about duplicate applications and the demographic pressures and that if there are only 20 seats in a classroom, only 20 kids can go into it. However, they are concerned about what seat their child will sit in and what place will be available for their child. It is incredibly stressful. The Minister of State knows what kids are like. They all talk about the secondary school they will be going to, or, if they are in the naoínra, the primary school.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the reply. He spoke about some of the pressures being created, such as those caused by the duplication of applications. I have sympathy for parents who make duplicate applications, particularly because they feel they have no choice. When they come into my office, we have a conversation and talk about what they are doing. They are being told by the schools to collect their refusals and then lodge a section 29 appeal. That is really stressful. This is for something very basic, namely a school place for their child. They are not looking to go to space. It is just something very simple and very basic that a decent, functioning society, led by a similar government, would be able to provide. What am I to advise parents to do now? Am I just to tell them to collect their refusals and appeal under section 29?”
“It was announced, re-announced and announced again that the new school building was coming. Perhaps the Minister of State will be able to provide me with some details in regard to it. Will the Minister of State confirm that every single school in my constituency that can accommodate additional places will be facilitated with the resources and the backing of the Department to do just that?”
“It is the same in his constituency office. It is starting earlier every year. We have some unique features in north County Dublin, which is that if we expand the capacity for schools there, the population to meet that is coming up. It is not the case that we might add an extra prefab and there will not be any need for it in a couple of years' time. We have a steady pipeline. Rush National School has been waiting for a new school building for 18 years. Eighteen years ago the population was a fraction of what it is today. The population in Rush has increased tremendously and yet it is still left waiting. There has been delay after delay for 18 years. I could paper the walls here with the announcements made by my former constituency colleagues from the Government benches about this school.”
“Every single year I have parents in my office on these issues. I often wonder why my constituency colleagues do not have offices that are open to the public most of the time and then I understand when I see hard cases come in the door because people are at their wits' end. They do not want to be coming to their local TD, they just want their kids to have a place in school. That should be something fairly basic. I am just off the phone to Councillor Malachy Quinn, who is just out of his clinic. A woman who was in with him has applied to 15 schools and still does not have a place. When I was first elected here, nine years ago, the scramble for school places usually did not start until in or around Easter, but now it is starting earlier. The Minister of State is nodding because he knows that is the case.”