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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“There are two issues in this area I wish to raise. The first relates to online banking and the second relates to online scams. I have raised these scams on numerous occasions over the past three years because I have been consistently contacted by people who have been affected and impacted by them. From the experiences of those I have been contracted by, it is particularly an issue at Christmas time, when people are under huge pressure and may fall for different types of scams more quickly. We know online banking is incredibly important and used by a huge number of people. We also have a large number of digital banks now, some of which have about 400,000 children using their junior accounts. In addition, over two thirds of young adults aged between 18 and 24 use digital banks.”
“Níl aon eolais againn mar gheall air sin. Ag an am céanna, tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta i gcathair na Gaillimhe ag éirí níos measa. Tá an ghéarchéim tithíochta atá againn i gConamara, sa Ghaeltacht agus sna hoileáin amach ón gcósta ag éirí níos measa freisin. Céard atá ag tarlú leis na dréacht-treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta agus céard é an ráiteas pleanála seo ar a bhfuil an Rialtas ag caint?”
“We have had this promise now year after year. Now, we have a housing plan that stated that we are going to have a planning statement instead of draft guidelines, so what is happening in relation to those things? We also have a situation whereby people who are in housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancies are seeing their rents increasing and they cannot pay them. There are, therefore, practical things I hope the Minister does. I hope that he acts on them because I cannot continue to see this hopelessness that is out there because the housing crisis is worsening. Céard é an chraic leis na dréacht-treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta? Tá an Rialtas tar éis a rá linn bliain i ndiaidh bliana go mbeidh siad foilsithe agus go mbeidh comhairliúchán phoiblí ann, agus níl. Anois, tá sé ag rá linn go mbeidh ráiteas pleanála ann ina háit. Céard é sin?”
“I do not think it is good enough that we just have launches of plans, but nothing actually ever changes. People see through those words when they do not see it with action. Let me be clear; I want the Minister's plan to work because I cannot face this continuing crisis worsening for the people of Galway year in, year out and week in, week out. When we look at Galway city, however, I would be interested if the Minister could outline how many new houses will become available to the council in Galway city next year. How many houses will become available in County Galway next year? How many sites will be ensured to be serviced? We do not have the sites that are serviced in the Connemara area to ensure that we can actually deliver housing that we need. When will the draft Gaeltacht planning guidelines be published?”
“I, too, like the previous speaker, have been a public representative for some time. I have been a public representative for the last 11 years and I have to say, I have never seen the housing crisis as bad as I am seeing it now. To be honest, at this point, I nearly think it is with intent. I am dealing with people, and we know the homeless figures are increasing every month, but I also see the impact of the housing crisis week in, week out in my clinics. On a practical level, however, when we are looking at Galway, south Galway emergency accommodation is always full. There is always a waiting list to get into homeless accommodation when someone is homeless in Galway. This is nothing new. This has been ongoing for a long time but the problem is that it is getting worse.”
“They are being forced to live in freezing cold homes this winter because of this Government. Climate action cannot come at the cost of pushing working people into poverty. It needs to be a just transition. The Minister's Government's carbon taxes are an unjust, failed and technocratic approach to environmental policy that is deepening social and economic inequality. It needs to be scrapped. Working people and families are in desperate need of support to pay their energy bills. They need the Minister to reverse his cruel decision to scrap energy credits. They need him to scrap the carbon tax and end the energy rip-off by standing up to the big energy companies. Tá an oiread sin daoine in iarthar na hÉireann nach bhfuil in ann íoc as a gcuid billí ná an ola atá acu agus tá an cáin charbóin ag cur leis an mbrú atá orthu.”
“This Government has actually gone out of its way to make life more difficult and to hike the cost of energy and transport by increasing the carbon tax. This is having a massive impact on people in the west of Ireland, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet. In my clinics, people come into me really concerned about being able to heat their homes. They are just saying they can no longer afford the bills they have to pay. A lot of people in the west of Ireland, as the Minister knows, rely on oil for heating. They are now going to have to fork out €1,000 to fill up a tank of oil. Some €220 of that is carbon tax. These people are being punished for something that is completely and utterly out of their hands. Thousands of rural households have no other choice but to use oil to heat their homes.”
“Last month, a report by the International Energy Agency found that energy companies are buying electricity at a third of the price they are selling it at. We have hard-pressed working people and families being absolutely fleeced by big energy companies. The report confirms that sky-high energy prices are not the result of unpredictable global market shocks. Quite simply, they are being set by price-gouging energy companies lining the pockets of their shareholders at the expense of ordinary people. We need to give people a break and the Minister could give people a break. He could end the rip-off, stand up to these energy companies and deliver affordable energy. What we have instead is a Government that has chosen to make it worse.”
“That is unless they have a very high income or they know someone who might be willing to rent to them. The reality is that for most of them it is not going to be possible. People are deeply concerned about that because it means their children have to move school or they have to commute long distances for schools and that kind of thing. This is really serious policy that, if done correctly, can work effectively, but if it is not done correctly it has serious consequences. This is my first time addressing the Minister as the new Minister for Finance. I wish him the best in the role. I hope that perhaps he can lead from the front today by accepting this amendment.”
“Over the past ten or 11 years that I have been a public representative in Galway, every single year the rental situation gets worse. Over the past five years - between 2020 and 2025 - rents have increased by 75% in Galway city. In the past 12 months alone, rents in Galway city have increased by 12.6%. The average monthly rent is now €2,300. As an Teachta Doherty said, our amendment is something for which we had campaigned for a very long time, but we were always told by the Ministers that it would only increase the money going into the pockets of landlords. We have always said that it had to be combined with a ban on rent increases. We now have a situation in Galway city whereby for people who come to my clinics and have a notice to quit, the reality of the situation is they are not going to find a place to rent in Galway city.”
“I again raise the 424 bus service, which is still leaving passengers at the side of the road day in and day out. The bus serves Connemara, from Lettermullen and Carna into Galway city, but once it gets to Bearna, it is full, leaving commuters on the side of the road without a bus service. This is a ludicrous situation, with approximately 2,000 people living in the Bearna area and especially when Galway city's traffic is constantly at a standstill and we desperately need better public transport options. A bus route to Bearna should be included in the new network for Galway city and the 424 service needs increased capacity immediately to meet demand. I have raised this with the National Transport Authority, NTA, numerous times. Will the Taoiseach contact the authority to put a bit of pep in its step?”
“Providing free legal aid and psychological services for whistleblowers, and removing the limitations on financial compensation that whistleblowers can win by way of redress, are important steps in this regard. Whatever the view of the Minister of State or me on the transposition of the EU directive, and whether at the time he believed it was strong enough, we have to deal with the reality of the situation now. We know that whistleblowers are still being wronged and still face harassment and backlash as a result of their bravery. If we know this, then we need to act on it. We have the ability to do so in this Chamber. Transparency International says whistleblowing is acknowledged as one of the most effective ways of stopping wrongdoing. Without whistleblowers, we would live in a very different society.”
“Previously, an Opposition TD could deliver a protected disclosure to the relevant Minister and then seek to know what progress had been made. Now, Ministers can simply say it has been handed to the protected disclosures office and it has nothing to do with them any more. We have clearly been proven right on this, as have the campaigners. What we also needed from the Government was for the new Bill to include organisations of fewer than 50 people. Instead, it excluded them. This was a wrong decision. When dealing with this issue, it is also important to deal with the facts. Research shows that whistleblowers lose more than €40,000 in the course of their working lives as a result. As we have hard evidence on this, it is quite clear that financial supports should be part of any strengthening of the legislation. We see that in today's motion.”
“At the time, I tabled an amendment to attempt to rectify this but it was not accepted. What we needed from the Government was to empower Ministers to gather all documents relevant to a protected disclosure made to them regarding their Departments or bodies under their authority and to pass this information on to the Attorney General in connection with the conduct of legal proceedings on behalf of the State. In July of this year, I said that when the Government was transposing the EU directive on protected disclosures, I was clear at the time, and I voiced significant concerns, that it was perhaps deliberately going to weaken the transposition. I said I felt the setting up of the protected disclosures office was a retrograde step and it removed protected disclosure as a political issue.”
“It is deeply regrettable that despite the opportunity to change things three years ago, we are still in a situation whereby whistleblowers do not have the protections they should. The reason we know this is because we hear it from whistleblowers themselves. It is quite shocking to me that, next week, four years will have passed since 1 December 2021 when my colleague Deputy Pat Buckley and I introduced a Bill in an attempt to strengthen the transposition by the Government of the EU directive in 2022. Unfortunately, what the Government transposed at the end of the day was simply not strong enough. One of the cruellest elements of it was that it was not retrospective. To exclude those going through live proceedings at the time was unforgivable and a real kick in the teeth for them.”
“I commend all whistleblowers on everything they have done. The reason they are whistleblowers is that, fundamentally, they know the difference between what is right and what is wrong. These are people who saw injustice and used their voices to speak truth to power, and they continue to do so clearly to this day. To our great shame, so many whistleblowers have faced persecution as a result. They have lost their jobs, they have been bullied and blacklisted, and they have faced huge consequences in their professional and personal lives, including experiencing homelessness. The Irish people owe them our deepest gratitude. Without them, we would not know about many scandals that have been exposed over the years. Go raibh míle, míle maith agaibh and thank you for coming here today. I commend Independent Ireland for bringing forward the motion.”
“I want to begin by saying the response from Government was outrageous. We have whistleblowers here today who clearly fed into this fantastic motion that Independent Ireland put forward and all we got from the Minister of State was gaslighting. To say it is not a Bill and, therefore, he cannot back it is nonsense. Deputy Buckley and I introduced a Bill four years ago and it was not acted on. Also, this motion has recommendations in it. Then there is talk about the EU review. The whole reason for the changes in the whistleblower legislation the last time was the transposition of the EU directive. What came out of it from Government was weak. That is why we are here. I hope for a stronger response later on from Ministers. I will go back to the speech I had prepared but that angered me this morning.”
“Any time there is an issue with step-down facilities and hospitals in rural areas, we are continuously told it is an issue with recruitment. If it is an issue with recruitment, we need to look at what we can do to assist recruitment in these rural areas. It has happened in Clifden and it is now happening in Carraroe.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Is maith an rud é sin agus cuirim fáilte roimhe. Sin an cineál gnímh atá ag teastáil ón Rialtas le feiceáil cén bealach gur féidir linn an fhadhb seo a réiteach. Is dócha go bhfuil fadhb níos leithne ann freisin. Aon uair a dhúntar leapacha i gceantar tuaithe, an chéad rud a deirtear ná nach féidir foireann a earcú. Léiríonn sé sin go bhfuil fadhb ann. Caithfimid breathnú ar céard iad na fadhbanna atá ann le foireann a earcú faoin tuath agus cén bealach gur féidir linn réiteach a fháil ar an gceist sin. I really welcome the fact the Minister of State has said he will meet the HSE on this. It is a very proactive step. It is a step we could have only hoped for in raising this. The issue here is obviously broader.”
“There has been a long-standing campaign in Carraroe to see this facility used to provide the capacity that is needed for the community but now we hear from the HSE that these beds will open in spring at the earliest. That is just unacceptable. We need urgent action now. I hope the Minister of State can give us some news today.”
“It is an absolute scandal that we have nine beds empty in Áras Mhic Dara in Carraroe tonight while 12 people are on a waiting list waiting to get the healthcare they need from the áras. There had been promises on this from the Government previously. We now need the HSE and the Government to work together to try to resolve this immediately. While we are having this debate here tonight, there are 73 people on trolleys in University Hospital Galway. That is 73 people who are unwell and need care. They are getting that care but they do not have beds. All the while, these nine beds lie empty. It does not make sense at all. I am sure the Minister of State would agree that situation does not make sense. It is also just wrong.”
“Is mór an scannal é i ndáiríre go bhfuil naoi leaba folamh in Áras Mhic Dara cé go bhfuil 12 duine ar an liosta feithimh mar go bhfuil cúram ón áras sin ag teastáil go géar uathu. Bhí geallúintí ón Rialtas air seo cheana. Teastaíonn gníomh anois ón Rialtas agus ón HSE. Agus muid i mbun plé anocht, tá na naoi leaba sin folamh agus, ag an am céanna, tá 73 duine ar thralaithe san ospidéal i nGaillimh. Ní dhéanann sé sin ciall ar bith. Tá tuilleadh brú á chur ar an ospidéal agus brú á chur ar dhaoine atá ag iarraidh a gcúram sláinte a fháil níos gaire don bhaile. Ní scéal nua é seo. Tá feachtas ar siúl ar An gCeathrú Rua ar feadh na mblianta. Anois, tá Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte ag rá linn gur fadhb foirne é agus nach mbeidh na leapacha sin oscailte go dtí an t-earrach ar a thúisce. Teastaíonn gníomh láithreach.”
“It sounds a bit like a waiting game for me to live my life until that dreadful day when my world becomes turned upside down yet again. These are harrowing words which highlight the urgency of this Bill. The system should never add to the concern for the victim around their attacker's release date. Victims and survivors should be given the freedom to move on from that horrible experience, both physically and mentally. This is an important first step and we need to ensure we build on it. Every time I deal with survivors of gender-based violence, I come across institutional barriers that have been put in their way. One of the cruellest impacts of the housing crisis is the restraint it can place on women who are fleeing gender-based violence. That is too often forgotten in that debate and something we also need to work on.”
“They are unnecessary barriers which can and should be changed by this Chamber and we must change them. This Bill is a first step, and it is incredibly crucial because survivors have been clear in their ask. We have heard them. We need to listen to them, and we need to act upon that. Victims and survivors have spoken of the dread and fear that surrounds the date of release of the perpetrator; a day that is etched in their mind. They fear for themselves, for their family and for their children. We must do all in our power to support these survivors. The impact of this was particularly powerfully put in an email I received today. It said: that is a day that I already fear. People say I need to live for now and enjoy my time while he is away.”
“I welcome all the women who are here with us today and thank them for all the work they have done in ensuring this Bill comes forward and hopefully it will be passed. I also thank my colleagues, Deputy Matt Carthy and Senator Maria McCormack, for introducing this Bill to the Dáil. As the Minister is aware, today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, but as he is equally aware, too often that day passes simply with condemnation but no action. Here tonight we have the ability to act. We need to make sure today is different and that these women's voices are heard and are acted upon because we need to recognise the fact that there are so many institutional barriers placed in front of women, victims and survivors.”
“We are still waiting for the student accommodation strategy that was promised in 2024. When will that happen? We need to end the rip off for students. They need to have choice in this matter because they need to be able to study science if they so wish. That should be part of this conversation.”
“One of the biggest issues is that many of our young people, including aspiring scientists, face an uphill battle when it comes to building a secure and good life in this State. Basic things their parents would have taken for granted are now difficult, sometimes impossible, to access. Young people in final year of school may be thinking of what university to apply for. Unfortunately, many of them quickly realise that they do not have much, if any, choice in the matter. The outrageous cost and limited availability of student accommodation means they are forced to stay living with their parents and commute very long distances in order to access any type of third level course. That takes the decision-making out of it. That is a big issue. We have student university accommodation that is low quality, insecure and extremely expensive.”
“This has an impact on young people who are really talented in this area and who to build on their talents. The way they build on those talents a lot of the time is, unfortunately, that they emigrate and study at universities abroad. Of course, when you are studying, that can be part of it in order to bring that knowledge base back. If we want them to bring it back, however, we need to make sure our instruments and scientific infrastructure is up to scratch. I strongly believe that we need to ensure we actually have funding coming through for the third level sector in order to keep that at the base it is now and expand it. We have the talents, the people and the visions but we need to build on that. Equally, if we are looking at our young people who may want to go into science, we need to look at the opportunities they have.”
“I welcome the guests in the Visitor's Gallery, namely Councillors Padraig Fallon and Brendan Barry and others. Ta fáilte rompu go Baile Átha Cliath. It is no Leitrim, but sure it will do. I am delighted to speak about science week. It is really important that we put a focus on it and ensure that all of our young people have opportunities, if they wish, in the field of science. If we do that and if that is the focus of the Dáil, we need to look at how we can do it. One of the issues that was raised with me quite a bit when I was held the spokesperson role that Deputy McGettigan holds now was that of the basic instruments and infrastructure we have within our third level sector, neither of which is up to standard. Some of it is, but could soon not be.”
“Cuireann sé frustrachas uafásach ar iascairí nuair a fheiceann siad céard a tharlaíonn ar bhonn leibhéal na hEorpa agus an Aontais Eorpaigh. Mothaíonn siad nach bhfuil an méid atá ag teastáil uathu á chur in iúl ag an Rialtas, ná ag Feisirí Eorpacha áirithe, ag leibhéal an Aontais Eorpaigh. Níl sé sách maith go bhfuil siad ag fulaingt agus ag streachailt mar gheall air seo. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go n-oibríonn chuile dhuine sa Teach seo le chéile chun cinntiú go mbeidh deal níos fearr ag iascairí na hÉireann. Tá sé thar am go ndéanann muid é seo mar tá a fhios againn nach raibh sé déanta le 20, 30 nó 40 bliain anuas. Anois, áfach, tá Aire Stáit againn. Tá an tAire Stáit ann agus tá sé thar am go mbainfear úsáid as an ról sin chun é sin a chinntiú.”
“Our fishing communities need us all to stand up for them internationally to protect our quotas and negotiate deals that will support coastal communities and not leave them on their own. We cannot reward states that overfish our waters with higher quotas. We need the EU to take action to ensure that all states fish responsibly based on the science. We need a better deal for Irish fishers. We need justice and fairness for our Irish fishing communities, once and for all. Tá a fhios ag an Aire Stáit go maith cé chomh tábhachtach is atá cúrsaí iascaireachta i gConamara agus ar na hoileáin amuigh ón chósta thar timpeall na Gaillimhe. Tá ceithre cinn acu. Tuigeann muid cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an iascaireacht ní hamháin don gheilleagair, ach do shaol na ndaoine sin chomh maith.”
“This has led to recent scientific recommendations to cut fishing quotas of species like mackerel. Mackerel is very important to our fishing communities and any cuts will be devastating for them. This is why it is so shameful that certain Irish MEPs voted for the agreement that would hand over Irish fishing territory and quotas to Norway and Iceland in return for funding. Meanwhile, Ireland will not see a red cent of that money despite these concessions. This is bad for Ireland and turns its back on our fishing communities. Along with Independent, Labour and Independent Ireland MEPs, all four Fianna Fáil MEPs supported it. This is particularly concerning, considering that Fianna Fáil holds the Ministry responsible for fisheries.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, knows and has spent time in the coastal communities I represent in Galway. We talk about Connemara and the four offshore islands in Galway West where the lifestyle is completely interwoven with the sea and fishing. It really is a way of life. Anyone who is familiar with fishing communities knows the importance of European fishing quotas and of states respecting these quotas. This is why it is so important for the Government to represent the interests of hard-working Irish fishers when negotiating quotas and representing their interests in Europe. I am regularly contacted by fishers who ask for a bluefin tuna quota, which I have previously raised with the Minister of State. Understandably, our fishing communities are furious that non-EU third states are overfishing with no repercussions.”
“We are talking about pensioners who are extremely worried about paying this local property tax, LPT. They know it will go up and are asking if it can be changed or stopped. It is coming directly from the Government. House prices are out of control and it is only going to continue.”
“I also welcome the Greybridge Classic Club. I would only love to be part of its Christmas lights run. It sounds amazing. Property tax is going up for people and every household will be hit with a higher bill. Over the course of the weekend, I held a number of clinics - in the city, Clifden and other places in Connemara. At every single clinic, a pensioner came to say they were extremely worried about the cost going up because they could not make ends meet as it was and this would put further pressure on them. Many had not even heard this was happening and got a huge fright when they got the letter through the door asking them to fill out a form and they saw that their property tax was going to go up. They cannot believe this is going to happen. The Taoiseach must be aware of this.”
“The Taoiseach needs to grasp this nettle to say yes, there is a serious cost-of-living crisis and this is what I am going to do. The Government needs to accept the reality that what it has been doing to this point has pushed more people into poverty, into debt and has pushed more children into homelessness and poverty. What people want to hear from the Taoiseach today is what is he going to do now to help them.”
“Let us look at what is actually happening under the Government's watch. A total of 300,000 households are in debt with their electricity bills. One in five children is in poverty under its watch. Now today, I have told the Taoiseach two teachers who want to send their child to college - who wants to go to college - cannot afford to send them because of the policies he has implemented because the Government has failed to grasp the nettle here when it comes to the cost-of-living crisis. To be honest, I have listened to what the Taoiseach has had to say here today which is people are imagining this cost-of-living crisis. Clearly from what he is telling us is, the Government has done all these things that are alleviating it. Well, they are not working. As Taoiseach, you need to take leadership and a bit ownership on this.”
“Is this all the Government has for families? Is it just going to leave these households on their own? Will the Government do anything to tackle runaway prices as people face a rip-off winter that will push them even further back?”
“It needs to get off the bench and needs to start fighting the corner for ordinary households, because they simply cannot take it anymore. The Government needs to stop protecting these big companies and give regulators the powers they need to end the price gouging and stop this rip-off. Feiceann daoine nach bhfuil aon deireadh ag teacht ar an ngéarchéim sa chostas maireachtála. Tá Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael breá sásta seasamh siar agus ligean do na comhlachtaí móra seo leas a bhaint as daoine. Caithfidh an Rialtas a phost a dhéanamh agus céimeanna a thógáil chun cuidiú is cosaint a thabhairt do theaghlaigh. The Government refused to include a cost-of-living package in the budget. Now it is refusing to include meaningful measures in the Finance Bill to help workers and families cope with runaway prices. My question is simple. Is this it?”
“We now have a situation whereby two teachers are so hammered by a cost-of-living crisis that is completely out of control that they have had to ask their child to look towards their future and not go to college when he should be doing so. It is bill after bill, and they simply cannot take it any more. This couple are not alone, and the Taoiseach knows that. Working people are drowning in a wave of sky-high bills. They see absolutely no end in sight. There will be real tension when people's electricity bills land. The Government pushed back against proposals to get energy costs down. It ignored a major report which shows that companies are not passing on the drop in wholesale prices to Irish households. It acts as if this is not even happening.”
“The Government refused to deliver a cost-of-living package, cancelled energy credits, removed double child benefit payment and decided not to give ordinary workers a break in their income tax. All of its decisions are piling more pressure on people who are already hard pressed. Surely the Taoiseach meets ordinary working people who are struggling. He must hear their stories of worry and stress, so why does he not do something about it? At one of my clinics last weekend, I met two teachers. They have two children in college. They have to pay for their digs and their fees. Their third child is due to start college next September. They have had to ask him to take a year out when he finishes the leaving certificate because they simply cannot afford to send him to college. Imagine that.”
“When the Taoiseach responded to Deputy Mary-Lou McDonald, he said that the Government is engaging with these companies. If he is referring to the meeting that Darragh O'Brien had with energy companies on 26 September, then the top brass must have left confident that it is business as usual for them and open season. Since the Minister's big meeting, Energia, Bord Gáis, Pinergy and SSE Airtricity all jacked up their energy prices. This is reminiscent of May 2023 when Fine Gael Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, gave the big supermarket chains six weeks to get their prices down. Today, those prices are absolutely through the roof. While prices rise and companies continue to gouge households, the budget has left working people worse off.”
“Cuirim céad míle fáilte roimh na cuairteoirí atá anseo inniu. Before I begin, I take this opportunity to wish the female garda taken to hospital last night a speedy recovery from her injuries. Struggling households were dealt two body blows on Monday. The first blow was that food inflation has reached its highest level in nearly two years. People are being ripped off when they go to the supermarket and it is clear as day to them that they are being ripped off. The second blow was the big hike in electricity prices for hundreds of thousands of SSE Airtricity customers, adding hundreds of euro to their bills. The Taoiseach was asked yesterday how bad things actually have to get before the Government does something. The Government needs to stand up to these companies and protect people from this greedy profiteering.”
“Chuile sheachtain i mo chuid clinicí, feicim agus éistim le daoine atá ag streachailt agus nach bhfuil in ann a gcuid billí ná cíos a íoc.”
“The only way the Government can talk about housing is through a rudimentary understanding of economics, where housing delivery only exists in terms of supply and demand. The high density, high cost and low quality blocks of apartments owned by international investment funds are a symptom of a broken housing system. This Finance Bill ensures that housing is now a financial asset and not a home. Tá daoine ag streachailt. Tá siad ag iarraidh go mbeadh siad in ann cónaí in áit éigin agus go mbeadh teach acu. Ta siad ag iarraidh go mbeadh sé d’acmhainn acu cíos a íoc agus teach, nó árasán fiú, a cheannach. Níl siad in ann é sin a dhéanamh, áfach. Ní raibh tada sa cháinaisnéis seo don ghnáthdhuine a théann ag obair.”
“Instead, there is a ridiculous policy that does nothing more than line the pockets of developers. This string of changes is only creating one kind of home, namely build to rent apartment blocks with flats that are smaller, darker and, increasingly, more expensive. For the next two years, this will have no impact on the supply of housing. Apartments are under construction or have already been built. It is an absolutely pathetic attempt to address the housing crisis. There is a pat on the back for big developers for delivering housing at extortionate prices instead of good quality, secure and affordable housing that people desperately need. More than anything, the Finance Bill exposes the fact that the Government has no plan to address the housing crisis. Sometimes I think there may not be the will.”
“How can they be expected to commute for hours at a time every single week. There has been uproar around this. This decision was unilaterally imposed on workers without consulting them or their union. The union is clear that it wants the bank to engage in a meaningful discussion at the Workplace Relations Commission, so the issue can be resolved and a fair arrangement can be found to address workers' concerns. Many workers within our community and society are really concerned that this budget did not impact on them but did impact on certain others, as my colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, said. It has cut the design standards for apartments and the flagship policy in the Finance Bill is cutting tax on apartments. There are no rent freezes, increases in funding for social housing or reform of the broken planning system.”
“For example, workers at Bank of Ireland have been told they will have to work eight days a month from the office in Dublin. These are workers who are employed in places such as Galway under the condition of travelling one day a month to Dublin. These workers are having their working conditions completely changed and slashed. The bank is now changing their ability to work from home or from their local branch. Many of these workers were hired on the premise that they could work from home, with a requirement to travel to the Dublin office one day a month. Workers living in my constituency of Galway West took jobs that allowed them to work between their homes and local branches in Galway. They are now being forced to commute to Dublin eight days a month for no clear reason. Where can they stay?”
“When workers are able to live, make ends meet, afford childcare, afford housing and pay their electricity bills, it is a sign of a strong, functioning economy, one that works for the people who live in it, but which also contributes to the development of the local economy and local businesses, especially in more rural areas, including in my constituency. Is mór an trua é nach raibh aon rud don ghnáthoibrí sa cháinaisnéis. Shíl chuile dhuine go mbeadh rud éigin sa phacáiste seo de bharr go raibh pacáiste cánach chomh mór sin i gceist, ach ní raibh tada ann don ghnáthoibrí nach bhfuil in ann a gcuid billí a íoc. Tá an t-airgead ag dul chuig na forbróirí móra agus na bainc. Workers are not only at the pin of their collars. For many, an awful lot of change is happening. I see this, in particular, in the financial sector.”
“There was shock across the State when the news broke on budget day that there was going to be no tax breaks for workers. I was in disbelief. I had assumed that, given a €2.5 billion tax package, there would surely be something in the budget for ordinary workers, who we all know are at the pin of their collars trying to make ends meet. The fact they were not mentioned and not heard by this Government angered them greatly, and I understand why. What became apparent was that this Government was not here for the worker, but for the banks and the big developers. This is a frustrating reality for workers in our economy who contribute so much to the economy and society in which we live.”