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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“It is very hard to follow the words of a child who knows and tells us how important their SNAs are. That is why when we have this conversation and are having this debate, we need to thank our SNAs who are working tirelessly and often thanklessly to care for and support our children and children within our communities. SNAs are the reason children with additional needs can be educated with their friends within their communities in mainstream schools. The impact of a SNA's work is felt way beyond the classroom. We all have heard of the stories over the past number of weeks of the impact SNAs have had on so many of our constituents and that letter included. People have said they have been a credit to their health, happiness and success in adulthood. They credit their SNA for that.”
“Traditional harvesters had been given complete assurances their rights would be protected but there is serious concern this is no longer the case in the new legislation. Will the Government work with traditional harvesters as well as those with folio rights to ensure their rights are protected?”
“Tá imní ar mhuintir Chonamara faoi iarratas atá curtha isteach ag Arramara Teoranta maidir le baint feamainne ar fud Chonamara. Mar is eol don Taoiseach, is ceist ghoilliúnach í seo. An príomhrud atá ag cur imní ar dhaoine ná cén cosaint a mbeidh ag bainteoirí feamainne traidisiúnta sa reachtaíocht nua. Dúradh in 2018 go raibh cosaint ann ach anois níl sé soiléir go bhfuil nó, níos measa fós, breathnaíonn sé ar nós nach bhfuil cosaint ann dóibh. Impím ar an Taoiseach breathnú ar an gceist seo agus oibriú le lucht bainte feamainne chun an ceart seo a chosaint, chomh maith leo siúd a bhfuil cearta fóilió acu. I am raising seaweed harvesting. The recent application by a large company for seaweed harvesting rights has caused huge concern. It is a very sensitive topic because it is a core Irish tradition.”
“As we are talking about commuting, the reality of commuting in Galway city is, whether you are coming from outside or internally in Galway city, that it is disastrous. We have had a standstill traffic situation at peak times for far too long, for decades, and it is the result of underfunding of our infrastructure. We need to have a double track line from Athenry to Galway and it needs to be delivered now.”
“Thankfully in December, the Financial Services Union negotiated an agreement with AIB that will allow workers to maintain their pre-existing remote working arrangements. However, no such agreement has been reached with the Bank of Ireland. Bank of Ireland workers in my constituency of Galway West are now mandated to work in Dublin eight days a month. That is an impossible ask for many workers trying to balance their family life and work, bearing in mind they were hired under the premise of being in Galway. I have met with the Financial Services Union and its demand is clear. It wants Bank of Ireland to engage in a meaningful discussion on this. These cases show the urgent need for better legislation on this issue - legislation that gives a right to flexible work and a right to a more equal and modern economy.”
“The fact of the matter is remote working works. It works for workers, for businesses and for communities. Workers have really gained control of their work-life balance, businesses have been able to cut their overhead costs and workers and families are now far more involved in their local communities because they can be. I am deeply concerned about recent efforts to undermine these gains. This is a hit to workers across the board but workers in the financial sector have been hit particularly hard. Workers of both AIB and Bank of Ireland were told last summer, out of the blue, of a new return to office protocol, after being hired under the premise they could work remotely. Both banks announced these changes without consulting the trade unions or workers themselves.”
“There is a belief that our offshore islands will just not have access to water in certain periods of the year. We need a plan. The plan could take some time - I understand that - but if we as public representatives or the people themselves do not know what the long-term plan is, then this problem will continue. I am thinking of the likes of Inis Oírr. Every year, it has srianta uisce with the curtailment of water every single summer. We have had it in Inis Boffin where there was manganese in the water. We need a clear plan to be set out. Finally, we need to ensure there are generators to make sure water is still pumped when we have a storm.”
“There are a number of issues relating to Uisce Éireann. They have been well documented here today. I want to talk about a number of issues in my home county of Galway in both the city and the county. I am talking about certain pieces of infrastructure like wastewater infrastructure. That is basic infrastructure that any developed country should be able to provide for the people living in its cities or county areas. The lack of sufficient wastewater infrastructure is impacting on the delivery of homes in Galway city and county. We also have a situation where sewage flows freely into the sea. That should not be happening in this day and age in Galway county. We also have the issue mentioned earlier by Deputy Doherty. We need to have a plan for islands when it comes to water.”
“The Government does not stand up to protect that. It does not have that same pride in our beef, in our standards and in our quality. We know that the same traceability and regulation are just not there when it comes to Mercosur countries. Beef is produced using hormones and antibiotics that are simply banned in the EU. It is not a level playing field for our farmers, and it is not right for our people. The Government has failed our farmers but, equally, it has failed our people. For those who do not think this is related to them, the environmental damage is catastrophic. It is related to public health, environmental standards and common decency.”
“It has failed to do that by failing to stand up against Mercosur. This agreement was not sprung on us. An Teachta Kerrane has just outlined how this has been raised in the Chamber numerous times, and an Teachta Carthy spoke about how this has been talked about for decades. It was not sprung on us. There has been a long-standing campaign against Mercosur, rightly so. As a nation, we are proud of our beef. Our beef is known around the world for being of very high quality. That did not come about by accident. It comes down to the hard work of farmers for generations, and not just their hard work, but their passion and their pride in their produce. Irish farmers adhere to the highest standards when it comes to traceability, animal welfare and environmental standards, and they do so willingly to ensure the best quality. Then, what happens?”
“The reality of this deal is simple. It is a sell-out. It is a sell-out of Irish farmers, our food standards and even our environmental protections. The European Commission has forced through this agreement, completely ignoring the huge cost it brings to the people of Ireland and of Europe. The cost of this deal is Irish livelihoods. Irish farmers cannot fairly compete with cheap imports from Mercosur countries with lower standards. The cost of this deal is our public health. It weakens the standard of food within the EU by allowing imports produced with EU-banned pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. What is it for? It is to increase the profits of giant businesses. This has been a catastrophic failure by the Government. It has to see that. The Government should have been there to protect Irish farmers and protect Irish people.”
“Forty-five years ago today, my aunt was on her 17th day of hunger strike in Armagh Gaol. We know what followed the following year when ten men died on hunger strike in Long Kesh. I understand that today in Britain, six people held in pre-trial detention are presently on hunger strike following their arrests for trying to stop the genocide. It should not be a crime to stop war crimes. Qesser Zuhrah is on her 47th day on this strike and has been transferred to hospital. Urgent action is clearly needed. Will the Tánaiste use his influence with the British Government to see this hunger strike come to an end before this ends in tragedy?”
“I said very clearly at that time that while the Government could not have predicted it to be the way it was, urgent action was needed to ensure we do not leave ourselves as vulnerable again. I urge the Minister of State to take immediate action now, as well as having a long-term plan to alleviate these concerns.”
“To be very clear here, I welcome any investment that helps this situation. However, we need to be clear that there is a need for long-term investment because of so many decades of underinvestment in the basic infrastructure in Connemara. That is why we have poles that are pushed over on their sides and cables still on the ground. We also need to look at what can be done immediately to alleviate this situation. It does not make sense for areas to have power outages every two weeks. When there is a power outage or a bad storm, it impacts them for weeks. That does not make sense. The Minister of State cannot control the weather - I am not saying he can - but he can control how we respond to this. It is a year on from Storm Éowyn.”
“Last night, thousands of households across Connemara were without power again. There was a storm and lightning. No one is going to blame the Government for lightening or a storm by any stretch of the imagination. However, we have a situation where every two weeks I get a text from someone who lives in Connemara to tell me the electricity has gone out again. Over the summer months, it is every month. Therefore, we clearly have an issue specific to the Connemara area. The Minister of State mentioned Storm Éowyn and it was horrific, but equally Storms Bert and Darragh had serious implications for electricity and telecommunications in the Connemara area. We need a clear action plan from the Government now to deal with these crises as they are happening.”
“Tá sé thar am don Rialtas seo agus don Aire Stáit seasamh suas don Aontas Eorpach ar mhaithe leis na ceantair atá ag brath ar iascaireacht agus ar mhaithe leis na hiascairí iad féin agus a gcuid teaghlach. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go ndéanfadh an tAire Stáit chuile shórt gur féidir leis chun an bealach maireachtála seo a chosaint chomh maith leis an eacnamaíocht atá ag brath air, is é sin, an eacnamaíocht ar fud iarthar na hÉireann agus ar an gcósta. Impím ar an Aire Stáit chuile shórt gur féidir leis a dhéanamh chun a chinntiú nach gcuirtear na hathruithe seo i bhfeidhm.”
“Fish processing is a major employer in Galway, particularly in Connemara, and this would have a devastating effect on jobs in an area that is already struggling in terms of employment. Fishers in Galway are looking for the Government to expand the quota. This outcome would do just the opposite. We cannot afford to take this without a fight. Bhí an tAire Stáit atá freagrach as an iascaireacht i Ros an Mhíl le déanaí liom féin agus le daoine eile agus is eol dó cé chomh tábhachtach atá cúrsaí iascaireachta in iarthar na hÉireann, i gConamara agus ar na hoileáin amach ón gcósta. Tá a fhios againn go mbeadh sé uafásach dá gcuirfí na hathruithe seo ar chuala muid fúthu ón Aontas Eorpach i bhfeidhm.”
“I stood with colleagues across the House two short months ago to ask the Minister of State to ensure the Government would start standing up to the EU and demanding fairness and justice for Irish fishing communities. Following the recent outcome of the EU's Agriculture and Fisheries Council, that demand is clearly being put to the test. This outcome is disastrous for our fishing industry. We need the Government to protect our fishermen and coastal communities, particularly those in the west, which is already recognised by the EU as a region that is underdeveloped and lagging behind other parts of Europe. In real terms, we are looking at vessels that could be at sea for fewer than ten or 12 days a year and factories that once worked three to five months a year down to two or three weeks.”
“Anois, tá fadhb againn nach mbíonn an t-airgead ar fáil don chomhairle contae chun déileáil leo seo. Tuigim an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an mBille ionas go mbeidh na Ranna éagsúla in ann airgead a chaitheamh i mí Eanáir ach caithfimid breathnú ar an mbealach ina bhfuil airgead á chaitheamh agus cinntiú go bhfuil an t-airgead ann dá leithéidí sin freisin. I will leave it at that as I am sharing time with my colleagues.”
“We already know the impact there. Oranmore train station is always packed out with cars. We then have additional stops that are crucially needed to ensure better public transport in Galway city. I refer to the likes of having an additional stop at Roscam to serve the people in the east side of Galway city, from Doughiska to Roscam, who could just dander down to a place like that if it was there. Park and ride has been talked about for years but again there has been an issue with the development of sites. When we have historically not looked at putting the investment into our basic infrastructure, these are the real-life impacts that has. Tuigeann an tAire go maith na deacrachtaí atá ann leis na bóithre, i gConamara ach go háirithe, agus an easpa infheistíochta a rinneadh iontu le fada an lá.”
“Then, we can look at the likes of the other basic infrastructure I have raised over the years when we were discussing this and talking about the importance of us having a full infrastructure plan. I understand the Minister is working on that and is hoping to progress it. I wish him well on that but because we have had decades of neglect in this region, there are serious implications. For example, extra services out of Oranmore train station are extremely welcome. The passing loop is extremely welcome but the fact that at the same time additional parking spaces have not been created, or they will not be prepared in time for the passing loop, means there is then an issue whereby if we do not have the infrastructure there, as sometimes one hand is not talking to the other, it will result in additional pressures.”
“Mar gheall air sin, tá tábhacht ag baint leis an mBille seo agus go n-úsáidfear an t-airgead sin chun an infheistiú sin a dhéanamh. When talking about housing, as I mentioned relating to Conamara but also Galway city, we have had the issue of lack of wastewater infrastructure on the east side of Galway city where I live, and the impact that has had on na nArdán. That is why Bills like these are quite important because they have a direct impact. We need to see all that, what I would call basic, fundamental infrastructure, be developed to ensure that housing can be built on the east side of Galway city. Too many people who are born and raised in Galway city can no longer live in it because of the lack of housing.”
“Mar is eol don Aire, rud atá ráite agus luaite agam go minic leis ná go bhfuil fadhb againn nuair nach bhfuil an buninfreastruchtúr i gceantar agus mar gheall air sin nach bhfuil na suíomhanna leis na seirbhísí ann chun tithe a thógáil. Má bhreathnaímid ar Chonamara mar shampla, tá a fhios againn i ndeisceart Chonamara nach bhfuil an talamh ná na suíomhanna ag an gcomhairle contae chun a chinntiú go bhfuil sí in ann tithe a thógáil ar na suíomhanna sin mar gheall nach bhfuil na bunseirbhísí ann. Tá impleachtaí aige sin ar chuile shórt, ach go háirithe orthu siúd ar fad atá ag iarraidh bheith in ann cónaí sa cheantar arb as dóibh, rud nach féidir leo a dhéanamh faoi láthair mar gheall nach féidir teach a thógáil, a cheannach nó a fháil ar cíos i gConamara.”
“It is welcome and important that we are now debating this particular Bill because there is a very serious aspect to it. Over the years, when we have discussed these Bills, one of the issues I have always raised is the matter of our infrastructural deficit and the fact that, for years, we have had the IMF, OECD and others telling us we had such a deficit. One of the issues I have always raised is that, when we look at capital expenditure, we must attempt to alleviate that infrastructural deficit. As I said to the Minister during oral questions last week, I really do wish him the best in that regard because this State and the people living within it and within our communities can no longer deal with the lack of infrastructure they are facing. I will start, when we are talking about that, with housing.”
“The key to this Bill is that it is a constitutional requirement and is essential to ensure Departments can spend money come January. We will therefore support the Bill. The Bill also allows for the four-fifths rule provided for under the Central Fund (Permanent Provisions) Act. This means Departments can spend four fifths of what was allowed under the previous Appropriation Act without the need for a vote. If the Bill was not enacted, these Departments could not spend. The Bill also allows for capital carryover. As per the Finance Act 2004, each Department can carry over 10% of its capital allocation to next year. The deferred surrender relating to capital supply services this year totals €182 million. The spending of these funds will be key to tackling the big issues of the day. For many years, there was no debate on these Bills.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na hAirí as teacht os comhair na Dála ar an gceist seo. Ar ndóigh, tuigim gur Bille fíorthábhachtach é seo chun a chinntiú gur féidir le Ranna Rialtais airgead a chaitheamh ag tús Mhí Eanáir agus nach mbeidh vótaí ag teastáil chun é sin a dhéanamh. Mar gheall air sin, tuigimid an tábhacht a bhaineann leis. Tá bunús bunreachtúil leis an mBille seo agus, mar sin, beimid i Sinn Féin ag tacú leis. I understand there is a constitutional requirement for this Bill as it legislates for the financial resolutions, which include all of the Estimates agreed by the Dáil this year. The sums granted from the Central Fund under the Central Fund (Permanent Provisions) Act 1965 will go towards making good the supply grant and amount, in the aggregate, to the sum of €91 billion.”
“Christmas is always a time when there is a focus. It is deeply unfortunate that the Minister of State is not supporting this Bill. I hope he reconsiders that but I hope he can follow up on those key issues I mentioned.”
“It told me that it is under huge pressure and its staff are under huge pressure. If it does not seem to be able to come to me with a satisfactory answer, I will bring it to the Minister of State. I would like him to raise that issue with the HSE because that is wrong. I will contact the Minister of State directly. Given the impact of overcrowding, we need to look at rural areas and how they can assist. I raised the nine beds in Áras Mhic Dara with the Minister of State and I know he hoped to meet with the HSE about that. Perhaps he has an update. I thank Deputy Cullinane for bringing forward this Bill, particularly during the winter and at Christmas time when so many people have the flu and other bugs and end up in our hospitals, are in hospital over Christmas or are waiting for a pain clinic.”
“One of the things I really wanted to raise involves emergency departments. As somebody who has visited people in the emergency department of late, I know that the overcrowding is unbelievable and outrageous. We have had many campaigns, including a strong campaign relating to people presenting with mental health issues going to accident and emergency and not being in an appropriate setting. I do not think it is an appropriate setting either for people receiving chemotherapy who are advised that if they go into their local shop, they need to wear a face mask, yet they are spending hours overnight on a trolley in accident and emergency. That does not make sense. I do not know if anybody can make that make sense but that is wrong. I have contacted Galway University Hospital about this.”
“A key issue coming into my office involves people coming in who have been waiting for the pain clinic. Imagine having to wait to get this help for pain. You are getting older, you are in massive pain and you have to come into an office to speak to someone like me because you are trying to get help for that pain. That is wrong. It should not be like that. It should be that if you need healthcare, you get that healthcare but instead so many people are coming into our offices who are not getting this care. Then there is the issue of people waiting for dental care. We always get a mother ringing us desperately saying her child needs some type of dental care, it is urgent and it is affecting the child going to school or being able to eat but she is being told that her child cannot get the dental care they need.”
“Having listened to what the Minister of State said here today, it seems quite clear to me that there is no will from Government to change this. The reality is that this is affecting real people's lives as it does day and day out and as it does today while people are waiting to have procedures and consultations. We are talking about people waiting in the emergency department in Galway University Hospital for the care they so desperately need. It also affects those people who want to provide that care. If we take Galway as an example, we can see that 6,000 people are waiting over six months for procedures. There are 20,000 people waiting over six months for a consultation. This is a huge number of people in Galway who are waiting to get the basic healthcare they need.”
“In relation to the expected commencing of the construction of school buildings, I am aware the Minister of State recently visited Lakeview School, which is an important school on the east side of Galway city. As he will know, unfortunately, it is only able to place five students for the 2026-2027 school year. There is a waiting list of 11 children who cannot be accommodated due to space constraints. The school has the physical space but what it needs is complete refurbishment, which will allow more children to be able to use that fantastic school. This is the school's third year looking for more appropriate classroom space. I know the Minister of State is aware of this project and has been to this school. Will he progress this to ensure more children in Galway city can be accommodated in Lakeview?”
“We still have wires on the ground as a result of Storm Darragh, not Storm Éowyn. That work needs to be done and a boost or push from the Government would really help in that regard.”
“When I look at infrastructure in the west I see it in two veins. There is obviously the serious capital investment needed for those bigger projects. The Minister has outlined some of them. Any investment there is welcome but there are also thee basic things that need to be done immediately. The Minister will remember the snow during Storm Bert, which had serious implications across Connemara. We then had Storm Darragh and when we had Storm Éowyn, Connemara did not have a chance. The impact of those storms on that basic infrastructure, which was already eroding, was devastating. We need to see some kind of plan from the Government - whichever Department sees fit but the Minister is obviously over infrastructure - to make sure we have those basics in order that this does not happen again.”
“I ask the Minister to look at what can be done through his Department to ensure the area has basic critical infrastructure so that people can live in and go about their daily lives in the area and jobs can be created in it.”
“I understand what the Minister said about things not being done in an area-specific way but, rather, in terms of Departments. I also know that he is the Minister for infrastructure, and he has an understanding of the west of Ireland. He has links to the west and knows Connemara well from his time as Minister for the Gaeltacht. I know, and I am sure the Minister knows, the serious lack of basic critical infrastructure in Connemara in particular. Safe roads and safe bridges are lacking. We still have the repercussions from Storm Éowyn, and all of these things will worsen unless specific capital investment is made in the area now.”
“It will come as no surprise to the Minister that I am raising the issue of critical infrastructure in the west. Thankfully, the storm this week did not hit Connemara in the way Storms Éowyn, Bert and Darragh did last year. However, we still have the aftermath and impact of those storms. The Minister knows Connemara well. If he travels around Connemara now, he will see there are still wires on the ground and poles hanging to one side. What is his plan for the west?”
“I do not think the Minister can seriously come into this Chamber and say his budgets have delivered for people in poverty. One in five children is living in poverty under the Minister's watch, while 15% of the State's population is living in poverty. The Minister talks about an independent recommendation committee on the pay of CEOs in the top 1%. Where is his independent recommendation committee for people who are working, earning and living in poverty? It does not wash with anybody for the Minister to come into this Chamber and tell us the budget delivered for low-paid workers. The Minister has chosen instead to line the pockets of the top 1% of earners, increasing their pay by astronomical amounts of €50,000 and €75,000. Most people do not earn those amounts, let alone get an increase of that scale.”
“It is unbelievable to me that being out of line with the market and being competitive only ever in this Chamber relates to those people who are on the highest income. It is never about competitiveness for low-wage workers. It is never out of line for low-wage workers. The Minister's decision to remove these pay ceilings has resulted in pay increases for CEOs of Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann of €50,000 and €75,000. Those are insane amounts of money. That is making millionaires out of CEOs at a time when people cannot afford childcare or housing. It shows how out of touch the Government is. Last year the CSO identified that in-work poverty was 5.9%. That equates to more than 145,500 people in employment who are living below the poverty line. What will the Minister do about their competitiveness and being out of line with the market?”
“I had concerns at the time, which I have raised again numerous time this year, about protected disclosures not going directly to Ministers and those Ministers then being able to say they cannot deal with them because they are with the protected disclosures office. There was an element of concern about that at the time and it is still a huge area of concern. I ask the Minister to look at this personally. It is such an important area and he has such power in relation to it. I urge him to listen to the whistleblowers.”
“This is an issue I am particularly passionate about and I appeal directly to the Minister in this regard. Whistleblowers are telling us they are being failed by the legislation. The Minister has responsibility for it, albeit he has advisers and all of that, and I am appealing directly to him to really look, by way of the review, at the best way to ensure whistleblowers are specifically protected and to take that on board personally. Will he examine whether there are areas in the EU where this process works well and what can be done to strengthen our regime to protect our whistleblowers?”
“The least we can do for whistleblowers is to ensure they have protections in law because, unfortunately, so many of them really suffer as a result of their whistleblowing.”
“The legislation may only be in place three years but we knew, when it was going through the Houses, that it was far too weak. Everybody agreed on that. It was almost the weakest transposition of the directive that could be made. One of the key issues debated at the time was retrospectivity and how so many people were locked out of the Act's provisions. Has the Minister dealt with EU counterparts on the issue of retrospectivity and whether they, too, excluded people? If not, will he undertake to have that engagement? I welcome the review because it is needed. When in 2026 will it open in terms of public consultation? What direct engagement has the Minister had with whistleblowers in this regard?”
“This question relates to protected disclosures. We all recognise the importance of whistleblowers and the incredible work they do for our society in calling out wrongdoing. Unfortunately, doing so for the better of society often comes at their own expense. There was a debate on a Private Members' motion on this issue a few weeks ago. Will the Minister provide an update on whistleblower legislation?”
“Of course, we know there are serious issues but it did seem like a lot of blame-shifting from Government and other people. First and foremost, it is very clear that the reason we do not have the infrastructure is because of a lack of investment from Governments.”
“I have to be very honest here. I want to this to work. The reality is that the way previous Governments have treated infrastructure has been abysmal and we see the direct results that has had. We see it particularly when storms hit or when people want to be able to build housing, providing housing or be able to attract jobs to areas. The state of our infrastructure has been horrific. I have a number of questions in relation to this. One of the things that makes me a bit nervous when it is Fianna Fáil, is whether there is much of an approach in terms of deregulation. We have seen what Fianna Fáil did previously and the impact that it had and I have to ask that question. I was also a bit concerned that it seemed to me that there was an awful lot of blame-shifting.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. One of the things I noticed when I was reading the plan was that there are the 30 actions and it seems to me that every single one of them will be delivered in quarter two of 2027. This is a ten-year action plan and it seems that, from what I have read, 2026 to 2027 is when they are going to be delivered. That is obviously a two-year timeframe. My query is in relation to the ten-year period. Is it that they are the actions, that is what happens and then it is left until 2035, or what are the actions coming out of that? Will new action plans be agreed coming out of those or how exactly is that going to work?”
“Dia duit ar maidin, a Aire. The Minister has outlined a new infrastructure plan and clearly we have a serious infrastructural deficit, which I have raised with him numerous times. This infrastructure deficit, particularly in the west of Ireland, is as a result of decades of neglect by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments. The Government has promised the earth and has delivered really nothing in terms of infrastructure for the west of Ireland. Why should anybody trust that these action plans will be any different?”
“This Dáil needs to start taking this issue seriously because in the past three years, I have not seen anything actively change in that regard. The other issue is the use of the digital world as a form of continuing abuse against women. I am referring in particular to domestic abuse being perpetrated through the digital sphere. We need to address these issues, especially tags being put into people's cars, handbags or whatever it may be, and tracking taking place. That is not looked at enough. Those two key issues are incredibly important and I ask the Minister to look at them.”
“Having raised this issue over the past number of years, I do not see any real, active changes in that sphere to ensure there are protections, especially for people who may be more vulnerable to these scams. For an awful lot of young people, the only type of banking they use is in the digital sphere. This rapid change we are seeing in how people are using banking shows that we need to have some kind of urgent response. We need to make sure there is security, especially for those who may be vulnerable to scams, but also to ensure there is adequate customer service. Often, when people are scammed the only assistance they can get is through chatbots, rather than being able to attend a physical location or contact a human being.”