Mairéad Farrell
Galway West · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Working people, whether unionist, nationalist or other, have been failed by partition because at the end of the day, a Westminster Parliament is making decisions on behalf of their communities. Irish unity has really got the potential to deliver for all of our communities, including those communities.”
“Is í an cheist ná céard go díreach atá chun tarlú anois. Cad iad na chéad céimeanna eile? Thug mé cuairt ar an scoil Dé hAoine seo chaite agus chonaic mé nach bhfuil go leor spáis inti. Tá sé le feiceáil go soiléir go bhfuil na ranganna riachtanais speisialta agus, ar ndóigh, an seomra ranga breise ag teastáil go géar.”
“Ar mhaithe le soiléiriú iomlán, ón méid a thuigim, bhí maoiniú curtha ar fáil don tionscnamh seo. Is léir go bhfuil sé seo ag teastáil. Cuirfidh mé chomhthéacs air seo. Is scoil bheag í seo i mBéal an Daingin, ach is scoil láidir í. Tagann daoine ó cheantair éagsúla chun a gcuid páistí a chur chuig an scoil seo.”
“I really welcome the decision by the Tánaiste and the Government to have these statements on the fiscal implications of a united Ireland. It is crucial that we continue with debates of this type.”
“That needs to change in the context of this debate because we are talking about a new and united Ireland that will include a new and different perspective on the opportunities that we see for us all from an economic perspective when it comes to a united Ireland When we are planning for this, we need to look at that in terms of the economi…”
“Without proper planning and preparation for Irish unity, we completely and utterly risk missing this seismic opportunity we have to create a new economy and seize this historic opportunity. It is absolutely essential that we begin preparations now.”
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“Is minic i stair na hÉireann go ndúirt muid go bhfuil ceachtanna foghlamtha againn ach, i ndáiríre, léirítear dúinn arís agus arís eile nach bhfuil tada foghlamtha againn. Caithfimid a chinntiú nach dtarlóidh a leithéid arís.”
“We have to make sure that the information is given to families and that communication continues to be at the centre of dealing with the families because many families are incredibly worried at this point. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go rachaimid i ngleic leis seo i gceart, go gcinnteoimid nach dtarlóidh a leithéid arís riamh agus go gcinnteoimid go bhfuil an chumarsáid cheart agus chuí ag dul go dtí na teaghlaigh ar fad, dóibh siúd atá fíorbhuartha agus iad tar éis a fháil amach nach raibh obráidí de dhíth ag na páistí atá acu agus dóibh siúd nach bhfuil cinnte go fóill mar gheall go bhfuil siad tar éis litreacha a fháil nach bhfuil soiléir faoin méid a tharla do na páistí atá acu. Caithfimid a chinntiú go bhfuil an chumarsáid sin ann agus nach dtarlóidh sé seo arís.”
“We can all agree that what has happened and what has unfolded is terrifying. The fact that children went through needless operations is terrifying for them, their families and wider society. My heart goes out to the families and children involved but also to the families who do not know, who do not have the information and who are unsure. It is good that we are addressing this today. I hope the Minister takes on board the points we raise in our motion. The fact that we do not know the number of operations carried out unnecessarily is frightening. We have all been contacted by constituents who have found out that these procedures may have been unnecessary or who have received letters outlining that their children may have been impacted. That is not good enough.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State's response and how genuine it was. I think the other Deputies will agree we saw progress when we raised it as a Topical Issue a number of years ago with former Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte. She took it upon herself to get things moving, so that shows the role the Minister of State can play in this. Let us hope we can get progress as a result. I was told by the Minister for Health last July that the fire safety certificate and disability access certificate would be submitted in the week ending 12 July and the preparation of tender documentation was well advanced, so something went wrong. Could we try to get to the bottom of it because it is urgently needed?”
“We have heard so many different horror stories about people who have been affected in so many different ways. The crux is that the people of Connemara need this ambulance base. It is being progressed but being able to get the information from the HSE has been an issue at times, which is why we had to bring it to the floor of the Dáil. It is crucial there be clear communication that we can bring back. Let us get this delivered as soon as possible.”
“I concur with what my colleagues said. It shows the importance of this issue, which spanned three different Dáil terms. Colleagues from political parties and Independents have come together on this issue because it is so important for the people of Connemara. It has progressed but I have been advised by the Minister for Health in a response to a parliamentary question that it was expected to be delivered in 2025. I was told at that stage that the preparation of tender documentation was well advanced, it was intended to tender the construction works in quarter three of 2024 and they would commence with a nine-month building plan. This is not where we are at the moment but we do want to know where we are. We want to make sure this is progressed. This is a basic need of a community that has long campaigned for it.”
“I have been continuously highlighting this with regard to the Rosmuck area in my constituency and with regard to our offshore islands. It is 2025 and really and truly we need to have a plan for our offshore islands. Inis Oírr and Inishbofin have real issues, particularly in the summer, in terms of access to water. I know Uisce Éireann now has a plan to try to address the issues on Inishbofin, and this is welcome, but we need a strategic plan for the islands.”
“That was always nonsense. The introduction of meters and charges were to act as a thin end of a wedge. There was a large public relations effort to tell people they needed to grow up and get real. These are the usual lines we often hear when we are being prepared for something. This did not deter people. These charges were opposed and eventually beaten. It is high time the matter was put to bed once and for all. The Bill would remove Uisce Éireann's power to introduce a charge for so-called excessive use of water by ordinary households. That is long overdue. When we are speaking about Uisce Éireann, I have to mention the extreme difficulty there is in getting information for our constituents when they do not have access to water.”
“I commend my colleagues Deputies McDonald and Ó Broin on tabling the Bill. Taking part in the movement to ensure Irish water services were not privatised and water charges were not introduced was an important part of my political life, as it was for many others throughout our communities. Almost a decade ago, I marched during the height of the movement. I also protested when I was baby, in 1990, when our water was turned off and we clearly said that babies need water. At that time, I protested alongside my dad and many others of his generation who had helped to beat those charges. The hundreds of thousands of people who took part in some form of action or other in every corner of the State will remember what we were up against. We had heard the lines that water charges were not a precursor to the privatisation of water charges.”
“These people came out of retirement only on the basis of the assurances they were given that there would be no negative impacts on their pensions. To say they have found out the hard way that was not true is quite an understatement. Given that we are talking about the issue of pensions and changes to the system of mandatory retirement, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight their case. I have raised it with the relevant Minister and it has gone on to the HSE but it is an issue of particular concern for those involved, who are being hit with these extraordinarily high charges and sums to be repaid simply because they were never told that the circular had been issued. They did not know and now they are being asked to repay huge sums of money.”
“Despite being told that there would be no adverse consequences to their pension entitlements as a result of this, they are now being told there was a decision made and a circular issued which changed this position, but they were never told about it. One man who called into my clinic showed me the letter he had received. It says that he now must repay €26,000. The letter he received states, "If you are in a position to repay this in full, you may do so by cheque". This man is in no position to repay this in part or in full. He is extremely concerned, and he is not alone in that regard. He has colleagues who have also been receiving these letters. This has all arisen due to a new circular, namely, Circular 24/22.”
“They may have no determining health issues and may well enjoy their job, which might give them a sense of purpose. However, because their contract states they must retire at a given age, they are required to do so. That is unfair and it is why I welcome this discussion on the Bill. Given that we are talking about retirement and the adverse consequences that can arise, I will mention a case relevant to my home county of Galway. It concerns a significant number of psychiatric nurses who had retired but were asked to come out of retirement to help to deal with backlogs and other staff-related pressures.”
“I have always believed that when it comes to those who are working and seeking promotion, if you are able enough, you are old enough. By the same token, I have always felt that when it comes to the matter of retirement, if you are able enough, you are young enough. Sinn Féin has long argued that there needs to be a choice. We have long called for the abolition of mandatory retirement, as we have always said that 65 is the age at which people should be able to retire, if they wish to do so. My party has previously tabled legislation to give effect to this. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions also supports this move. We need to recognise that, every year, workers are forced out of jobs because of their age. That might not be their choice.”
“If we required public bodies to disclose in their annual reports the amount paid out in such successful appeals, this would highlight those that have had an issue with transparency or whose FOI officers may need additional types of training. I proposed a Bill in this regard. Sometimes it is just about getting proposals we can work on together constructively and try to get them over the line so the system works better.”
“I worked very constructively with former Minister, Michael McGrath, on this matter and other issues. I hope the Minister and I can do the same. Regarding this issue, we also need to consider solutions. Sometimes when people are refused an FOI request, they do not think they have the grounds to appeal the decision. I also encourage people who believe they are entitled to some information to make sure they go forward and appeal the decision. One of the solutions I suggest is if an FOI appeal to the Information Commissioner concerning the refusal or redaction of information sees the initial decision overturned, then the cost of the process should be refunded to the person who submitted the appeal.”
“That was bizarre and not something I had seen before. I am not aware of any provision in the legislation that states information can only be released to disinterested parties. Is the Minister?”
“One of the Minister's predecessors, who is now a European Commissioner, undertook a significant review of the FOI system. There are still issues with certain public bodies refusing requests or redacting large volumes of information. Sometimes, it comes out through appeals that this was done incorrectly. There is a view that this is done based on trying to deter people in the hope they will not appeal, in which case the decision is likely to be overturned. I was dealing with one request recently and it was kind of new to me. The request was not submitted by me, but I was asked my views on it. The public body concerned said it could not release the information under FOI because one of the requesters had a connection to the information being sought. They were told it was a conflict of interest.”
“A significant number of local authorities in this State have passed motions supporting ethical procurement policy. It is always really good when councils are looking at this as well. The response they keep getting from their respective chief executive officers, however, is that this would infringe upon the EU’s procurement directions. When the statements of the EU Commission are presented to them, they maintain this position even though it flies in the face of reality. Will the Minister of State commit to speaking to the Office of Government Procurement about this matter?”
“That is really good. I am delighted to hear the Minister of State talking about data collection. I did a survey a few years ago asking different public bodies about their use of social clauses. One body responded by saying that it paid the minimum wage. Obviously, that is not a social clause; it is the law. You have to do that. I wish to flag another thing, which comes on the back of the Minister of State’s mention of ethical considerations. It is good that staff of the Office of Government Procurement have done that training because we can all do with extra training. The EU Commission has stated that there is nothing precluding member states and contracting authorities from including ethical considerations as a criterion for awarding contracts.”
“That must be interoperable with other public data registries. Our current system seems antiquated in that regard, particularly in comparison with the systems that obtain in other countries. I produced a Bill at the end of the previous Dáil which would begin to move us in this direction. Would the Minister of State be willing to work with me on that?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I welcome the fact that the Government is having that consultation. It is welcome that we are all thinking more about this issue, whether in the context of SMEs, social enterprises, as the Minister of State outlined, councils and so on. The EU has long been calling on member states to use the public procurement system in a more strategic way to support industrial policy objectives. Data collection oversight of our public procurement system is poor in comparison with EU peer standards. The data reports we tend to get from the Office of Government Procurement are generally two or three years out of date when they are published. If we are to better use our procurement system, the first step is to have better access to recent data in order that we can know what is happening.”
“I am a big believer in looking at how we use our public procurement system. When I was on Galway City Council, we ensured that there were ways to employ, through social clauses and so forth, people across Galway. There are so many real positives we can use through our public procurement system. Given everything that is going on in the world at the moment, I am of the view that they can be used very wisely. What plans does the Government have to align our procurement system better with strategic goals and ethical considerations?”
“There are children who are in homeless accommodation or who cannot even access such accommodation in Galway city and county. This is really serious. Did the Minister honestly believe that the 40,000 target would be hit, even though he was were getting figures or briefings like this?”
“This was information that the Minister had. It was information that the Central Bank was pointing to housing outputs for 2024 similar to or slightly below the previous year. Does the Minister genuinely believe that people can have faith in the delivery of the NDP or of what the Government is saying about housing now when, during the general election campaign, two days after the information had been received, it told people that it would hit the 40,000 target? Did the Minister genuinely believe this target would be hit when he was in receipt of information like that? Does he think people can have faith in that? This is a huge crisis that is impacting on most people. There are women who cannot even leave women's refuges because they do not have anywhere to go.”
“Did the Minister bury this matter? What did he do with the information? Why was he not transparent about it? Who else in the Government did he tell? These are crucially important things the people should know.”
“I will be seeking a briefing on the review of the NDP and where it stands. The Minister mentioned housing, which is one of the basic infrastructures needed across Galway, Connemara and the State. I have to ask the Minister, because this was a hugely important issue during the general election campaign, about this number of 40,000 homes. The Deputy was Minister for Finance at the time. I am aware that he is now Minister for public expenditure. It is my understanding that he was advised on 6 November that the target of 40,000 homes would not be reached, but the Government parties continued to put that out to the public. This has a real-life impact on people. The housing crisis and homelessness are having a real-life disastrous impact on so many people. It is really serious to not have full transparency in that regard.”
“The Minister knows Galway, the west and Connemara. He has seen the impact Storm Éowyn continues to have in certain parts of Connemara and across Mayo. It is very clear from the impact of this storm and Storm Darragh that we seriously need investment in basic infrastructure throughout the west of Ireland. The need in this regard is particularly acute in certain parts of Connemara and Mayo. Will the Minister outline what plans he has for additional investment?”
“The teens feel they are just seen as being up to no good, whatever that might mean, and that kind of message can be internalised by them. The project wants to be build a sense of community and pride in the youth and keep them engaged with activities and events around their community. One of the young people involved told me: A lot of trouble comes from people sitting around and doing nothing whereas in here you are actually doing something. We are doing our theory tests, doing up out CVs, [that is] setting us up for jobs and that's setting up for driving as well. That is getting your life sorted and they are actually helping us do that and you are more motivated to do stuff in here.”
“As a result of this, Galway City Partnership established Ballinfoile youth activities project, which aims to provide free activities for children from the ages of five to 16. Since its launch in January 2024, it has engaged with 240 children living locally, and currently engages with 80 children every week which is fantastic. It also has 40 children on its waitlist. It is looking to expand what the project can offer and make sure they can put it on a sustainable footing in terms of a funding model. That is why I wanted to raise the project with the Minister of State because that is with we need to look at when talking about these issues. Ballinfoyle youth activities project also did a survey of the area and the teens interviewed responded that there was not much to do apart from hang around bus stops and outside the local shop.”
“When we look across our cities we see fantastic work is being done by youth workers and we really need to support them. A few weeks ago I met representatives of Galway City Partnership to discuss their work in the Headford Road area of Galway centred around Ballinfoile, which draws in community members from neighbouring estates in the city as well as areas just outside the city such as Carrowbrowne. Galway City Partnership has identified this as a disadvantaged area but with fewer community resources when compared with other disadvantaged areas in the city. In particular, they are trying to improve community resources for children, which is a fantastic initiative. As there are not currently many spaces and opportunities for children and teenagers to socialise outside of school, they have a particular focus on that.”
“Will the Taoiseach stand up for one of the three fundamental freedoms of the EU? Will he stand up for the rights of these Irish and EU citizens?”
“All EU citizens and their family members have the right to move and reside freely within the EU. This fundamental right is established in EU treaty law and the decision to expel an EU citizen is the highest form of restriction on freedom of movement. Two Irish citizens, Shane O'Brien and Roberta Murray, have been issued with deportation orders because of their values. Neither of these individuals has been convicted of a related crime, and my query is: is opposition to genocide not an EU value? For context, I was raised by a German mother. I am half-German and I like to keep a close eye on German politics. I have been very concerned with the heavy-handed approach Germany has taken to peaceful pro-Palestine protestors. These people are being deported on policy grounds.”
“Tháinig Uisce Éireann ar ais chugam agus dúirt sé go raibh sé ag breathnú ar ghineadóirí i gcomhair áiteanna áirithe ach níl a fhios agam cad atá i gceist aige go díreach. Teastaíonn gineadóirí ag na hionaid sláinte agus don uisce. Ar a laghad, má tá sé sin ann i gceantar, cabhróidh sé amach anseo.”
“Bhí cruinniú agam leis an ESB inné maidir leis seo ar fad. Caithfimid breathnú ar liosta na gcustaiméirí leochaileacha. Ceapann daoine go bhfuil siad ar an liosta seo ach níl. Caithfimid a chinntiú go bhfuil ár gcuid gaolta féin ar an liosta seo más rud é go bhfuil sé seo ag teastáil. Chomh maith leis sin, caithfimid a chinntiú go bhfuil ár gcuid comharsana nach bhfuil duine éigin sa chlann acu in ann breathnú air sin ar an liosta. Caithfimid breathnú ar céard a dhéanfaimid leis an liosta sin. An é go bhfuil sé ag an HSE freisin ionas gur féidir leis a chinntiú go bhfuil cúram a thabhairt do na daoine sin? Caithfimid breathnú ar céard a chiallaíonn sé seo níos deireanaí.”
“Chomh maith leis sin, mar a dúirt mo chomhghleacaí, an Teachta Kerrane, chaill daoine an bia ar fad a bhí istigh sa chuisneoir agus sa reoiteoir acu. Is fadhb í sin mar coinníonn daoine bia sa reoiteoir nuair nach bhfuil airgead acu nó nuair nach bhfuil siad cinnte cén sórt airgid a bheidh acu i gceann seachtaine nó dhó. Tá daoine tar éis go leor a chailliúint mar gheall air sin. Chomh maith leis sin, bhí go leor daoine i gConamara ag fanacht in óstáin. Bhí ar roinnt acu dul go háiteanna eile agus fanacht lena gcuid gaolta i gceantair eile mar gheall nach raibh tada acu. Caithfimid breathnú air sin. Iarraim ar an Aire dul i dteagmháil le leithéidí Eir agus Vodafone mar níl siad ag teacht ar ais chugainn mar is ceart. Níl sé sách maith go bhfuil daoine fós gan teileachumarsáid. Caithfimid breathnú chun tosaigh freisin.”
“Tuigeann an tAire go maith céard a tharla i nGaillimh agus i gConamara le linn Stoirm Éowyn. Caithfimid dhá rud a dhéanamh. Caithfimid breathnú ar céard atá tar éis tarlú agus ar rudaí atá fós ag dul ar aghaidh. Ar ndóigh, tá a fhios againn go bhfuil deacrachtaí fós ann ó thaobh leathanbhanda agus teileachumarsáide. Dhá mhí tar éis na stoirme seo, tá roinnt daoine fós ann nach bhfuil na rudaí bunúsacha sin acu. Chomh maith leis sin, caithfimid breathnú chun tosaigh. Caithfimid breathnú ar céard gur féidir linn a dhéanamh. Tá a fhios agam ó cheist pharlaiminte a chuir mé isteach gur cuireadh isteach 24,917 iarratas ar HAS agus go bhfuil 9,673 duine tar éis airgead a fháil. Tá daoine tar éis go leor a chailliúint mar gheall ar an stoirm seo, mar shampla, an teach atá acu, an shed atá acu nó rudaí mar sin.”
“-----so I will move on with other issues of serious lack of funding for policing across Galway. One of the clear issues that was just raised with me again today is the lack of gardaí in Galway. The gardaí who work in Galway do their absolute best and do their utmost, but there is an inability to contact gardaí because there simply are not enough. When we are talking about the amount of funding that we have available across the State, and if we are talking about the likes of Galway, we need to make sure that we are adequately funding the number of gardaí that we have as well. People should easily be able to access gardaí when they need to.”
“We know that these women, who proudly and strongly stand with the mothers in Palestine, were armed with roses, placards and the courage of their convictions. They took their position there to display images of Gazan children. We have all heard of the force and very heavy-handed tactics that were used against them. It really shocked most people to see that happen. Many of these women were arrested and were subjected to different types of treatment. Some of them have contacted my office and told me that they were strip-searched, something I find deeply concerning. One woman contacted my office in relation to a cavity search, which again is deeply concerning.”
“In Galway, for example, many mothers, including my own mother, also marked Mother's Day by remembering mothers in Gaza who were brutally murdered or whose children were brutally murdered.”
“We are here to deal with the Revised Estimates for Votes 24, 41 and 46, which are justice-related Votes concerning the Department and the Policing Authority. I would have liked to raise numerous things with the Minister today. However, given what we saw unfold outside the gates of this building just yesterday, I want to raise that matter with him today. Most of us who work here will be well aware of Mothers Against Genocide who regularly maintain a vigil outside the gates of this house. They continue to raise the issue of the ongoing and genocide in Gaza. On Sunday night they began a peaceful protest to coincide with Mother's Day - the type of protest that was happening in cities across Ireland.”
“Tá sé go maith go bhfuil sé seo á phlé againn ach mothaím go láidir gur mhór an trua é nár glacadh le leasú Uimh. 1 mar chuid de seo.”
“Tá sé go maith go bhfuil sé seo á phlé againn sa Dáil anocht. Mar is eol don Aire, táim cinnte, go minic mothaíonn muintir na Gaeltachta agus lucht na Gaeltachta nach bhfuil guth sách láidir acu agus nach n-éistear lena nguth. Ceann de na príomhrudaí atá á éileamh acu le fada an lá ná go mbeadh toghchán tagtha ar ais do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Is mór an trua é nach nglacfar le leasú Uimh. 1 áit a chuir muid an méid chun tosaigh chun a chinntiú go raibh an ionadaíocht is láidre ag an údarás. Chomh maith leis sin, agus muid ag caint ar an ionadaíocht sin, is dócha gurb shin ceann de na príomhrudaí. B’fhéidir go mothaíonn muintir na Gaeltachta go gcabhródh sé sin lena nguth a ardú agus go mbeadh cinntí déanta ar bhonn daonlathach sa nGaeltacht í féin.”
“Following his election to the British Parliament, it is worth noting that the size of the Irish electorate was significantly reduced to mainly propertied class. The Young Irelander, John Mitchel, believed that this was always the intent. He believed it was to detach propertied Catholics from the increasingly agitated rural masses, the kind who would later find expression in Michael Davitt's Land League. Before the Land League there were the Whiteboys and the Ribbonmen and these rebellious acts against landlordism and for equal treatment would prove an inspiration for many across the world. This is unusual, though quite interesting, legislation. It is strange to be dealing with something from that era. However, things never cease to surprise me in this Chamber and this is interesting as well.”
“It is worth recognising the role that was played in the 1798 rebellion of the United Irishmen, who obviously drew their inspiration from the French Revolution of 1789 and its rallying calls based on equality. They also looked for the abolition of the system known as the landlord's church and they referred to the Church of Ireland, which required those tithes to apply to Catholics and dissenters. There was the failure of that rebellion and so on but then we had the Act of Union in 1800 whereby Britain moved to incorporate Ireland into the United Kingdom. Despite promises, it would take 30 years before Catholic emancipation was delivered, although that can be disputed. One of the secondary instruments we are repealing as part of this Bill was legislation to stop an event involving Daniel O'Connell.”
“It arose after people were forced to make cash payments to the Church of Ireland in respect of the religious affiliation, and that was obviously in the context of the Penal Laws that came before that. We are dealing with secondary instruments as part of the Bill but some of these relate to primary legislation and deserve a mention while we are dealing with this or while we are on a trip down memory lane when it comes to this legislation. Catholics were excluded from public office from 1607, with Presbyterians also barred from public office from 1707 onwards. There was a ban on the Irish language being used in court in 1737. There was a ban on intermarriage with Protestants, although that was repealed in 1778, and there are many other Acts of this nature.”
“It predates the Fenian Rising of 1867 by at least six years. For those unfamiliar with that event, the Fenians proclaimed a provisional republican government. They also issued their own proclamation which predated the 1916 Proclamation by 50 years. The last few lines of that proclamation are quite interesting. It states: Remember the past, look well to the future, and avenge yourselves by giving liberty to your children in the coming struggle for human liberty. Herewith we proclaim the Irish Republic. The legislation was enacted during events such as the Tithe War, which took place between 1830 and 1836. That campaign was one of mainly non-violent civil disobedience, albeit with different episodes within it.”
“The statute law revision programme is the State's programme to identify and remove obsolete and spent primary and secondary legislation from the Statute Book. The aim and purpose of the programme is to repeal legislation that has ceased to be enforced due to changes in circumstances or the passing of time, and legislation that, while technically in force, is no longer of relevance in practice today. Given that we are talking about legislation that predates 1861, it is of a very historic nature. It predates the establishment of this State and partition by 61 years. As such, it is probably worth noting, as we have given time to have this debate, the type of Ireland we had at that time. This legislation predates Gladstone's speech in the House of Commons on Home Rule, which took place in 1871.”
“This is an unusual Bill to say the least. It is a Bill which we had some fun looking through and something I had not come across before. It proposes to repeal spent and obsolete secondary instruments enacted on or after 1 January 1821 and before 1 January 1861, which is a bit before my time. This Bill will also repeal those instruments enacted before 1 January 1821 that are still enforced and were not repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 2015. Given the length of time that has passed and considering that these are spent and obsolete instruments, we will support the Bill. The context in which it arises is that it is the latest in a series of measures that have been enacted to modernise and improve public accessibility to the Statute Book and secondary legislation.”
“We have always been seen as honest brokers in former colonies in the global south because of our neutrality, and indeed because of our experience of colonialism. However, for some reason, this and the previous Government, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, seem bent on getting rid of this. People are horrified that the Government has failed to defend our neutrality on an international scale. People are horrified to see continued reporting by The Ditch that munitions destined for Israel are going through our airspace. This is something that the Minister of State, his Government and every Minister in the Government need to get to the bottom of and need to stop. We want to have no hand, act or part, and no complicity in a genocide that is ongoing in Gaza. However, on this important issue it is time for the people in this State to decide.”
“I commend the Social Democrats on bringing forward this important motion. It is a motion at the heart of everything we do, and indeed is something the people feel extremely strongly about. Irish neutrality is at the core of everything we do and is the core of our democracy. This attempt to try to get rid of the triple lock and our neutrality has been a long time coming. I experienced it in the last Dáil, and now again in this one. The idea that a Government would try to get rid of the triple lock without putting it to a referendum is in my opinion absolutely appalling. This State has continuously punched above its weight on international affairs and on an international stage. The reason we have been able to do that is because of our unique history and our neutrality.”