Malcolm Byrne
Wicklow-Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I appreciate the Minister of State is responding on behalf of the Minister but the response provides nothing new. It is almost a carbon copy of the response I received when I raised this issue in January last.”
“Free and fair trade right throughout history is the greatest example of providing people with employment opportunities and lifting people out of poverty. One of the best examples of this is our being able to trade with Canada.”
“I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will remember being approached by the then principal, staff and others. Pressure has been applied. When capital decisions were being made by the Department of education I asked why this school was not included and what criteria were used.”
“To say that the school, and indeed, the wider area are deeply frustrated by the lack of progress is an understatement. This is an excellent school, but when it comes to its physical infrastructure, the school is in dire straits.”
“As we are moving towards the recess, I thank the Ceann Comhairle, and indeed, the officials in her office and all of the staff across the House for all of their work during the year that has made this place run so smoothly. I wish to raise the question of Bunclody Community College. I have had to do it on a number of occasions.”
“I am conscious the Minister of State referred to additional capital investment in 2027. I fully expect and will continue to campaign to ensure this school is included in the 2027 capital list because it deserved to be addressed before now.”
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“I believe that for too long this has been a problem with many of the conflicts we have faced around the world. Finally, this is one of those issues we need to talk about more. This issue will not get a lot of media coverage. It will not get the media attention other conflicts rightly get. Given the scale of depravity, though, it is something that we, right across this House, need to ensure we talk about in our own political parties and communities. The values I believe are dear to all our hearts, those Irish values, need to inform everyone in the State and we need to be aware of this conflict. I welcome the statement from the Minister for foreign affairs today. I know she comes from a very good place and any efforts she and the Government can make to end this horrific conflict should be supported.”
“It is why I have never believed in the idea of expelling diplomats or ending diplomatic relations, even with countries with which we very strongly disagree. The role of diplomats is to engage and try to ensure there are still doors open, so people can talk rather than engage in conflict. We again need to look at the issue of accountability. Too often in all these conflicts, even though peace is finally obtained, those responsible for horrific war crimes are not held to account. There are targeted sanctions against certain individuals in Sudan. I think we need to go further than that. When this war is finished, those who have committed war crimes need to be held to account to ensure the victims see that justice has been done and to demonstrate an example to others in other conflicts that they cannot get away with it.”
“I know an additional package has now been agreed at EU level. This is critical in terms of support for families there. There are also long-term challenges, however, around sanitation and water supplies, for example. We need not just to provide money but to support Sudan with expertise. We are going to need to invest heavily in providing support for the clearing of mines. Even though conflicts end, problems with mines mean that thousands of people for years afterwards potentially face very serious injuries. We also need to address, as I mentioned, the gender-based violence that has gone on, some of which is particularly horrific. I pay tribute to the team within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I think we should always be very proud of our diplomats, who are sometimes working in very difficult circumstances.”
“While it may not be directly involved in war, China has certainly been involved in economic colonialism in Africa. There is a broader question here, then, than just Sudan. It is about the question of our approach in Ireland and the European Union to Africa and particularly concerning is how we can support Africans being able to make decisions for themselves about their future. For us, I think it is critical, more than ever before, that Irish values around human rights, the rule of law and accountability are to the fore in any discussion. We also need to insist that it is the Sudanese people themselves who make a decision around their future. I refer to what more we can do, and colleagues have certainly mentioned humanitarian assistance. In Ireland we are right to be proud of the support we have provided.”
“The fact that, as a planet, we have allowed this and, indeed, other conflicts to continue is a stain on all of us. There are certainly questions for other powers in the region. They will have to be involved in any peace agreement and I am glad they are now coming to the table. We know neighbouring countries, like Chad, Egypt and Ethiopia, are under pressure because of the refugees that have fled Sudan. We need to provide support to those countries as well in assist with their refugees. We do, however, need to call out global actors, and, yes, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, is among them. Unsurprisingly, Russia, which is again supplying arms, is among them. Indeed, Wagner mercenaries have been deployed in the area. China’s role in Africa also needs to be examined.”
“Just looking at the number of displaced persons, 8 million people have fled from Venezuela because of the economic regime there and 11 million people have been displaced in Ukraine, but over 12 million people have already been displaced in Sudan. It is the largest displacement crisis in the world. This is before we even come to talk about those who have been killed, the tens of thousands of people who have been killed, and those who have had their families taken away from them. Colleagues have also mentioned the horrors of the gender-based violence since this war erupted in April 2023. We have seen gang rapes, sexual slavery and abductions, and UNICEF has reported young children being subjected to sexual violence. All war is horrific but the more I read about what has happened in Sudan, the more inhuman it is.”
“It is good to see Deputy Feighan here as Minister of State. I thank him for being here for this very important debate. I pay tribute to my colleague, Deputy Shane Moynihan, who has been raising this issue during Taoiseach's questions since the beginning of the year. Barry Andrews, MEP, raises it regularly in the European Parliament. This is a very important debate. As colleagues said, it has perhaps been overshadowed by conflicts in Gaza and the Middle East and Russia’s ongoing campaign of aggression against Ukraine and its other neighbours. The scale of what has happened in Sudan, however, is horrific.”
“The Minister is aware that in the US there is a federal crop insurance programme which was introduced during the time of the depression. I was with the Canadian ambassador when he spoke to the IFA about guarantees, insurance and a basic income scheme that operate in Canada. It continues to be a concern that 1,400 tillage farmers have left the sector in recent years. I know the Minister is committed to this and I very much welcome his support for flour production in Ireland, bringing that back and diversifying markets. There are all of those measures. However, until we can guarantee our tillage farmers that if they plant in the autumn, they will get a reasonable income when they reap in the spring, it is going to be a big challenge for the sector.”
“It is critical that guaranteeing a basic level of income to tillage farmers is core to the CAP negotiations the Minister will enter in Brussels.”
“I thank the Minister. He and I do not need to discuss the challenges facing the sector; I know he is very much aware of them. What farmers are looking for is a guarantee of a basic income. Obviously we already have the BISS scheme in place. I welcome the fact that as part of the CAP negotiations the Minister is looking at trying to provide some floor for farmers. It is not just important for the sustainability of farming, as the Minister mentioned, it is also important to us being able to tackle climate change and meet our environmental obligations. It is critical to be able to support farmers in those areas. We can certainly look at linking payments to food security and sustainability goals. That would be a very positive measure.”
“I could mention other schools, including Gorey Hill special school and Ballygarrett National School. For the schools I mentioned that have been stuck for a long time at stage 2b, namely, Glenart College, Bunclody Community College and Coláiste Bhríde Carnew, all they want to know is when they will move beyond stage 2b. The Department should publish that information on the website.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the response. I totally understand there can be delays to various projects. In nearly all of these cases, if it has got to stage 2b, the land is there and the school is ready to go. Stage 2b seems to be some sort of bizarre purgatory within the Department. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State talked about 80 further school programmes. All that many of these schools are asking for is a clear timeline. If it is published on the Department website, as the Minister of State said, that construction on a particular school will start at a particular time, say, September 2026, at least then the schools will know and we can be realistic about the matter. There is a real concern as to how long we will be getting cut-and-paste answers from the Department.”
“To be or not to be is the question. If the Department of education has decided it can progress an education system without clear timelines for capital projects, that is Hamlet without the prince.”
“I represent the Wicklow-Wexford constituency, which is one of the fastest growing in Ireland. There are real concerns and implications for the staff and students in those schools. Let me give an example. Glenart College in Arklow has a major problem with leaks. It requires new emergency accommodation and a three-classroom special educational needs, SEN, base. It progressed to stage 2b in May 2024 but there does not seem to have been any movement since. The situation is similar in Bunclody Community College, which is another school stuck at stage 2b. The Minister of State might remember that in June this year, we were in this Chamber at midnight discussing a Topical Issue about Coláiste Bhríde Carnew. I will let the Minister of State guess at what stage that school is stuck. It is still stuck at stage 2b.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking this item. Like my colleague Deputy Cleere, I acknowledge the significant investment in the school building programme. However, there does, of late, seem to be slow progress on certain projects. We are looking for an assurance that when it comes to the school building programme the capital is in place to be able to deliver on those much-needed schools. The concern I have is that I placed parliamentary questions at the start of the year and six, seven or eight months later, I seem to get a cut-and-paste answer. There does not seem to be any progress being made. The Minister of State will know that this is not just a concern that Deputy Cleere and I share, coming from the south east. This is happening across the country.”
“Renaming Dublin Airport after Seán Lemass would be a fitting tribute to a man who stood for progress, ambition and opportunity. It would reflect our pride across these Houses in his legacy and our confidence in Ireland's future. This is not just about honouring history; it is about inspiring the next generation. Every time a traveller lands at Seán Lemass Dublin international airport, they will be reminded of a leader who believed that Ireland could take our place among the nations of the world and, more importantly, he made it happen.”
“Dublin Airport social media accounts recently mooted the idea of renaming the airport after Troy Parrott, an interesting proposition. I suggest, however, given his inspirational performance, that we might consider naming the metro line out to the airport after him, given that they both have been involved in long campaigns and, just as hope was fading, we had delivery right at the end - or so we hope. It is quite common for major airports across the world to bear the names of leaders who shaped their nations: Charles de Gaulle in Paris, Adolfo Suárez in Madrid, John F. Kennedy in New York, Ronald Reagan in Washington, DC, Pierre Trudeau in Montreal, Lester B. Pearson in Toronto, Indira Gandhi in New Delhi, Mustafa Atatürk in Istanbul. Ireland should be no different.”
“These will include the lifting of the cap at the airport, expansion in the number of flights and working toward making the airport more environmentally sustainable. However, this, I believe, is a small and positive step. When I raised this issue previously in the Seanad, I was told by DAA that the naming was an issue for the Minister for Transport. When I asked a parliamentary question about this recently, the Department of Transport informed me that this was a matter for DAA. This confusion would not have happened in Seán Lemass's time. On matters concerning national infrastructure, he simply ensured that decisions were made and action was taken. In any event, I hope this legislation will address the matter.”
“He understood that connectivity was key, not just for tourism but also for trade, diplomacy and Ireland's place in global affairs. Dublin Airport, which opened in 1940, when Lemass was Minister for Industry and Commerce, owes much to his policies and foresight. He was instrumental in ensuring that Ireland had the infrastructure to move from the periphery of Europe to its heart. Indeed, it was in 1963, as Taoiseach, that Lemass welcomed President John F. Kennedy to Dublin Airport, a moment that symbolised Ireland's new confidence on the global stage. I am very much conscious that there are bigger issues that need to be addressed by Dublin Airport Authority internally as well as externally.”
“Under his leadership, Ireland embraced free trade, a concept that is under much attack globally now. He encouraged foreign investment and he began the journey towards our successful membership of what was then the European Economic Community. Crucially, he also saw the need for partnership among different traditions on this island and was not afraid to reach out the hand of friendship. These decisions laid the foundations for the Ireland we know today: outward looking, dynamic and globally connected. Lemass saw aviation as a lifeline for Ireland, a bridge to a wider world. As Minister for Industry and Commerce and later as Taoiseach, he championed the development of Aer Lingus, the expansion of air services and the construction of international airports.”
“I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the renaming of Dublin Airport as Seán Lemass Dublin International Airport and to provide for related matters. I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me the time to move this Bill. It provides for the formal renaming of Dublin Airport as the Seán Lemass Dublin international airport. This is not simply a question of changing a sign; it is about recognising a leader whose vision transformed Ireland and whose policies opened the gateway through which millions now pass. Seán Lemass was the architect of modern Ireland. Having fought in the Easter Rising and helped in the building of our fledgling State, when Taoiseach he charted a new course, one of openness, ambition and progress, and he understood that isolation was not an option for a small nation.”
“I support talk about doubling the track from Dublin to Belfast and moving from two to four lines. In that context, I have a simple request. Can we double the Rosslare rail line from a single line to two? When it comes to challenges we will face in the future, Irish Rail is spending huge sums of money on dealing with coastal erosion. Why not invest that money in ensuring that we have a proper rail line, even if we have to move it further inland? I am disappointed with the response. I appreciate that the Minister of State is answering on behalf of the Minister. I will seek an urgent meeting with the Minister on this matter because the clear message coming back to people in Wicklow and Wexford who commute by rail is that there is no plan whatsoever to try to alleviate the continuing problems.”
“I appreciate that the Minister of State is only providing the answer on the part of the Department of Transport but it shows why I have very little confidence in that Department or the NTA on delivery. I am a huge supporter of completing the M11 from Oilgate to Rosslare. That will not assist in any way the 6,500 daily commuters who for the most part are moving north but let us move on with it as quickly as possible. There is no real significant improvement in what will happen on the N11-M11. I had to laugh because it is very similar to the answer I got from Irish Rail. The Minister of State is just confirming that as far as Irish Rail is concerned, south of Wicklow town, it does not really care. In the context of the reference to new rail carriages on the route to Drogheda, I despair about the level of interest that is there.”
“When it comes to rolling stock, the last bits of rolling stock are provided to the Rosslare rail line. There is no realistic alternative. We have 6,500 or more people every day travelling for the most on the M11 and yet there seems to be no plan from the Government or the Department of Transport to alleviate the challenges they face.”
“Part of this is due to varying speed limits along the M11. I am a great believer in public transport. There is a good service provided by Wexford Bus and most of the time by Bus Éireann Expressway, although I am concerned at reports it is considering the service. We do not have a realistic rail alternative. From Gorey, Arklow and Rathdrum, there are only six daily rail services. For towns equidistant from the capital such as Carlow, there are 11 services, from Drogheda or Dundalk, there are 16 and from Portlaoise there are 32. When I posed a question to Irish Rail, even though there are plans to extend to the DART to Wicklow, on what plans it had for the rail service south of Wicklow town, which would service Rathdrum, Arklow and Gorey, it only answered what it is doing in terms of the DART extension.”
“That is 6,500 people commuting primarily along the M11 to Dublin every day for work purposes. For those who have to commute an hour or more to get to either their place of work or study every day - significant numbers go to Dublin for study - as a proportion of the overall numbers moving, in Gorey, it is 19.2%, in Arklow, it is 17.6%, in Rathdrum, it is 23.8% and in Courtown-Riverchapel, it is 25.1%. We have a significant commuting population. What is the State's response to that? There is an increasingly clogged M11. If I wanted to ensure I was here for 9 a.m. on most mornings, I would have to leave Gorey at 6 a.m. Having been a commuter even during the height of the Celtic tiger, it never had to be as early. If the weather is bad - the Ceann Comhairle knows this - or there is an incident along the M11, it is impossible.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State coming to take this Topical Issue. I am not sure if in his earlier answer he was committing to bringing the Luas to the Wicklow-Wexford constituency but if he can, I will welcome it. We will welcome any improvement to rail services. I deeply love where I come from. We have some of the best beaches in the country and wonderful community life in all our towns and rural areas but many people have to commute to work or college. Part of that is due to the continued failure of the IDA to arrange for visits to the Wicklow-Wexford constituency. A lot of people are commuting out of our communities. Primarily, they travel to Dublin. Based on CSO statistics, 2,170 people commute from Gorey from Gorey daily for work purposes, from Arklow, 2,723, from Courtown, 1,050 and from Rathdrum, 544.”
“I would be grateful to know the Tánaiste's views now, as Minister for Finance, on the proposal for a tax relief for gym membership in the programme for Government.”
“I wish the Tánaiste well in his new role. I also thank Paschal Donohoe for his service as Minister for Finance and in other roles. One of the last reports he published as Minister, and one of the most important, is the Future Forty report, which sets out the long-term direction for this country. Part of that is the demographic challenge, whereby we will grow from having about 860,000 people over the age of 65 now to potentially 2 million in 40 years. What is critical in that is that we have a healthy older population during that time and that we keep older people active. With that in mind, I refer to budget 2025 and the commitment in the programme for Government to consider the introduction of tax relief for gym membership and other particular measures to provide supports to encourage greater activity among older people.”
“I welcome that. Will the Minister outline a rough timeline for that? He talks of local authorities but not all venues are local authority-run or have local authority input. Many venues for amateur drama or the arts are run on a community or voluntary basis. It is about the process of application and capacity-building in the sector. Does the local authority have to be involved? I appreciate the scheme is not fully designed but will the Minister outline his intentions in that regard?”
“It is a clear commitment in the programme. I know the Minister is supportive of it but we need to roll it out as quickly as possible.”
“The sports capital programme has been incredibly successful at providing support for sport within our communities. I welcome the Government's continued commitment but we have not placed the same level of investment in arts and cultural facilities in our organisations. I appreciate the point about stream E but, as the Minister pointed out, the maximum grant available is €50,000. In a capital programme, that is not a huge sum. I am thinking of a number of places in my constituency, including Gorey Little Theatre, KMH in Kilmuckridge, St. Brigid's Hall in Carnew and Tinahely's Courthouse Arts Centre. Arklow, for instance, does not have a dedicated arts centre. That sum will not go very far towards that. In the same way as we have a sports capital fund that works successfully, we should introduce an arts capital fund.”
“I applaud the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach's efficiency in the Chair. I thank the Minister for taking this question. It concerns the proposal in the programme for Government to develop an arts capital scheme. Will the Minister provide us with an update?”
“I support Deputy Butterly on this. The Minister might update us. We had a regional film uplift fund in the past but, as a result of issues relating to EU supports, that could not continue. He will certainly be aware that, when filming has to take place outside of Dublin and Wicklow, crews have to travel and there is a cost to that. He has outlined the success we have seen with filming right around the country. He will also be aware that there are plans to develop Tara Studios, just outside Gorey in north Wexford. He will also know about the success of Troy Studios in Limerick and the filming that has happened there. As Deputy Butterly said, there are many locations right around the country where regional film, television and animations uplift supports is critical.”
“In the meantime, to the many people from Ukraine who have found their home here and found refuge, I continue to say " slava Ukraini ". We will continue to support those people. You are welcome here. Thank you for your contribution. For however long it takes in your battle to uphold the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, we will stand by you.”
“I wish her well in that role. We should have no doubt that in our Presidency of the EU Council next year, this will be an even bigger issue. The threat will be even more significant. When it comes to cybersecurity and protecting our waters, we are going to have to face up to it. We need to continue to show our support for Ukraine, but equally, we need to make sure this country and the rest of Europe are prepared for what is happening. I hope the Minister of State will bring this topic to her colleagues in the Government. I have been disappointed so far in that I do not believe this matter has received sufficient attention either in this House or by the Government, but by God, we are going to need to address it.”
“Why are we not debating this issue when the key aspects of digital and energy infrastructure are under threat from Russian vessels and the shadow fleet operating in Irish waters? People say the Russians are not going to touch us. Well, they already are. Why do we think the Russian fleet and the shadow fleet are operating in Irish waters? Anybody in this House who has any doubts should talk to states like Finland and Sweden, states that share our perspective on the world, and they will tell them exactly about the threats we face. I believe that in this House and in many of the public debates, we have been naive and gullible about the threat being faced in Europe by Russia. We really need to finally face up to it. I welcome the fact we are having a debate today. This has to be the top priority for our new Minister for foreign affairs.”
“I say we should be listening to our friends in the Baltics and in central and eastern Europe because they know from their experience exactly what is going on. Anybody in this House who expects Vladimir Putin to respect the UN Charter is clearly deluded. There is absolutely no hope of Putin respecting it. It is really important that we continue to focus on providing whatever support we can - non-military support - to Ukraine. We need to continue to call out Russia at every international forum, whether it is for the cyberattacks, its brutal war against Ukraine, the abduction of children or the undermining of the UN Charter. This issue is incredibly important. I cannot figure out why, when we have Russian vessels operating in our waters, we are not debating this issue every week.”
“Indeed, Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, who is an SPD politician, a social democrat, has warned that he is now expecting increasing Russian escalation and has said that this past summer may have been the last summer Europe is at peace. We should not, therefore, underestimate the threat being posed to Europe. This is no longer a conflict purely about Ukraine. This is about a war on Europe by an increasingly hostile Russian regime. I am someone who deeply believes in multilateralism and I am strongly committed to the UN Charter. Yet, there are those who believe that in this country we should not be preparing to deal with the potential threat of increased Russian aggression, and who believe that Russia will have no interest, somehow, in Ireland.”
“If we look at what has happened to our fellow European states, the Estonians, the Lithuanians and the Latvians can tell us plenty in terms of the cyberattacks over the last number of years, but it is not just about what has happened in recent years. Let us look at even just the last few months. In September alone, Members will be aware that 19 unarmed Russian drones landed in Poland. That was no accident. In Denmark, when European leaders, including the Taoiseach, were gathering, drone attacks led to the closure of the airports around Copenhagen. At the same time, three Russian MiG-31 jets violated Estonian airspace. We know, therefore, that Russia is showing increased aggression, not just to Ukraine but to other European countries.”
“We are seeing increasing numbers of cyberattacks by Russia on Ireland and on other European states. This is because Russia does not respect Ireland's neutrality when it comes to cyberspace. It is determined to do anything to undermine states that believe in democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We can see this too if we look at the attempts by Russia to influence Romania and Moldova in their elections. I have no doubt that we will see Russian bots trying to influence elections here in Ireland in the future and we need to be prepared for that. I make no apologies for saying we need to stand in solidarity with our European partners and neighbours, in the same way they showed great solidarity with us when we faced the threats of Brexit.”
“In terms of our responsibility, particularly if we really are a neutral country, then we do need to take action, not only because this shadow fleet is engaged in sanction-busting but because many of these vessels are, for want of a better description, rust buckets. If any of them are in any way damaged or are transferring oil in the Atlantic or other parts of the world, there is a huge environmental risk and this will impact Irish waters. Yet, we have never had a debate about the Russian shadow fleet operating within our waters. When we look at cyber infrastructure, again, people here know only too well about the HSE attack, which Deputy Duncan Smith referred to. Ultimately, it will have cost the State in excess of €500 million, but more importantly, lives were lost as a result of it.”
“We can be absolutely certain that if an American vessel was in Irish waters without permission, people in this House would rightly be criticising it and screaming and shouting. If an Israeli vessel was unlawfully in Irish waters, we would be having debates nearly every week about the issue. The Russian shadow fleet, though, is passing through without debate in this House and, quite frankly, without sufficient action being taken. I welcome the fact that Canada, which is at the other side of the exclusive economic zone and shares responsibility for much of the Atlantic, is now stepping up pressure against the Russian shadow fleet.”
“We know that Putin has no regard for the rights of those children. Yet, why is it that we are not doing enough to ensure that they are reunited with their families? I wish to touch on a number of questions that we as a country need to address in our own context with regard to security and defence. I will start by referencing the Russian shadow fleet. RTÉ has previously reported that, based on intelligence, 245 shadow fleet vessels have passed through Irish waters more than 450 times in the first seven months of this year. A total of 72 of those vessels were named by intelligence as already being on sanctions lists and many of those were part of the Russian shadow fleet. I find it bizarre that we are not calling this out in this House the whole time.”
“I commend those members of the European Parliament - I note Barry Andrews, for instance, is currently in Ukraine - who have continued to ensure at a European level that all European countries, including Ireland, continue to show solidarity with Ukraine. Indeed, questions should be asked of some of our MEPs who have failed to show that solidarity over the last number of years. We know about the horrors of the impact of the war in Ukraine. Yet, as I said, they are not sufficiently debated in this House. It is horrific that there are now an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred to areas under Russian control by the Russian defence forces. Think about that number - 20,000 children - and the impact that has on their families and, more importantly, the long-term trauma of those children.”
“Next year, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the European Council of the European Union. It is at a critical period. We have always had a very proud record in support of enlargement. We need to use that period of our Presidency to do what we can to further Ukraine’s future membership of the European Union. In the same way in 1990, when Charles Haughey was Taoiseach, we held the Presidency and we supported a unified Germany becoming a member of the EU. In 2004, when Bertie Ahern was Taoiseach during that EU Presidency, we supported the largest ever accession when ten countries, including eight from central and eastern Europe, joined the EU. We should do whatever we can to support the accession of Ukraine and, indeed, other countries at that time.”
“In many other countries in Europe, there is an exploration of what this means for those countries and Europe more widely. I criticise The Irish Times in particular, which decided to publish an opinion piece this week in which other European countries were criticised for deciding to invest in defence but yet not once in that opinion piece was the reason mentioned, that is, their fear of the threat coming from Russia. I welcome the fact that President Zelenskyy is likely to come to Ireland in December. I called previously for him to be invited to address the joint Houses in person, as he previously did online. It would be welcome both to show our solidarity in these Houses and also to recognise the enormous contribution of those Ukrainians who came here, both before and after the war, and how they are contributing to all of our communities.”
“Notwithstanding other matters that may have happened today, I believe this is the most important debate to be happening in this House. It is not just about Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine but, rather, a question around the war in Europe and, indeed, a war on Europe by an increasingly aggressive Russia. I have to express my disappointment that while every other parliament in Europe has been debating and exploring this issue, this is the first time since the summer we have had the opportunity to have statements on this matter, even though I have requested it every week since we came back after the summer. It also reflects a lack of media coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine. With some notable exceptions, we do not get the level of attention paid to what is happening.”
“In July 2023, the then Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, wrote to An Coimisiún Toghcháin as part of its first research programme to specifically examine this issue. I was very glad to hear the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, speaking with real passion. I have to say to the Minister of State, with respect to him and the civil servants who are here, because they were there at that time, that much of his speech was a cut and paste from the speech delivered by the then Minister of State, Senator Malcolm Noonan, in response to the Bill I brought forward in 2023. I have to ask why the Government has not taken action on what has happened up until now. Why was the research not done before? This will require going into committee and into debate. It will not happen overnight. I believe we should allow the Bill through.”
“They hold a great variety of views on a variety of issues, but it tends to mean that political parties respond in a far greater way to the issues that are impacting on young people. I finally want to turn to the proposal to kick this down the road for a year. I am raising this because, in the Seanad, on 7 November 2023, when I introduced my Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2021, again there was a similar proposal to kick it down the road for a year. At that time, the Government amendment was that the Bill would be read on 1 July 2024 to allow for further consideration of the Bill. At the time, in the last programme for Government, which the Minister of State will remember, there was a commitment to examine the Scottish experience.”