Malcolm Noonan
Agricultural Panel · Green Party · Ireland
“Before I invite Senator Stephenson back in, I welcome members of the Young Entrepreneurs Club to the Gallery. They are guests of the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. Cuirim fáilte romhaibh go léir.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I again commend Senator Black, who has been campaigning on this issue for a very long time. It is disappointing that we are here this evening without services included despite the very detailed recommendations of the Oireachtas joint committee, the views of many legal experts and the clear legal opinion of the…”
“I am surprised that the Government is presenting us with a Bill that excludes services. The Government used to tell us that it was for legal reasons.”
“In fairness, it has become even clearer from the remarks made by the Government in recent days that fear of the Trump Administration is driving the decision, with illogical arguments that the Trump Administration might just tolerate a Bill that bans goods but if were to bring forward a Bill that covered goods and services, it would someho…”
“I join with my colleagues in our outright condemnation of this approach by the Government in relation to this legislation. The Government is going to be the lead negotiator on behalf of the European Union at both the climate Conference of the Parties, COP, and the biodiversity COP later this year.”
“The rural housing policy was launched last week. We have had the closure of the public consultation on the nature restoration plan. Lo and behold, the long-awaited phase 2 of the land-use review was published two days after both of those policies. This document has huge implications for land use in Ireland.”
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“I will make a few points on our amendments. Certainly I know that in cases I have been involved with in the past that fantastic local services in terms of legal advice were offered to people seeking asylum by local development partnerships, voluntary groups and NGOs. They were really useful in many cases. Interpreters had to be found locally, which brought its own challenges. This is going back several years in terms of asylum applications. It was almost a type of activity that grounded itself in local community support for asylum seekers when we would have considered the numbers to have been relatively low by European standards. I have a question about that.”
“I urge the Minister of State to keep the theme of climate and the environment central to the co-work programme we are going to lead on. We can leave a very positive legacy here, but it is critical the Government ensures we pull back from the brink of what has been, in recent years, an agenda that is anti-environment and anti-climate action.”
“Do the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service have the resources they need for us to participate and chair on behalf of the European Union? My understanding is that staff are being taken away from their core work to lead on this, which is understandable, It is a huge undertaking and I appreciate the complexities involved but, in order to be fully at the table, fully participate and chair this effectively, we need all the resources at our disposal on this. Tá ár n-Uachtaránacht ar an Aontas Eorpach an-tábhachtach don dúlra, don aeráid agus do shaoránaigh na hEorpa. Tá sé ríthábhachtach go léiríonn muid ceannaireacht le linn ár dtréimhse san oifig.”
“Both these COPs will be critical in doubling down in opposition to the anti-climate and nature agenda being led by the US and put forward by other countries. We are good at talking; it is what we do well. I have seen in other negotiations that the Irish have always led and led well, and it is something I believe we could do well. Both these COPs must deliver fairness and adequate financing for developing countries and small island states. There is a lot resting on our shoulders here. Do we have sufficient resources to service our chairing of these events? Will we be able to participate on behalf of the EU at other world conferences, such as the world conference on marine biodiversity, to be held in Belgium?”
“We do not want to see the LIFE programme subsumed into a competitiveness fund. If it is lost as a stand-alone nature fund, it will be a loss to rural communities and Irish farming, and it is something we should highlight under our Presidency. We need a dedicated nature restoration fund, as was promised when we were negotiating the nature restoration regulation. That needs to be embedded in the post-2027 multi-annual financial framework. The simple ask is for our Presidency to be marked by leadership on the environment. This could and should be our legacy from our term in office. Ireland, as President, will chair - this is also critically important - both the biodiversity COP 17 in Yerevan in Armenia in October and the climate COP 31 in Türkiye in November on behalf of the European Union. It is a huge undertaking.”
“There also needs to be no watering down of the EU nature restoration regulation, which we are hearing could be on the table. Ireland fought hard to get this over the line in the previous Government, and we need to use the Presidency to ensure it is as effective as it should be. I refer to the UK intelligence report on biodiversity loss. If one of the themes is security, one of the findings that emerged from that intelligence report is that what is about to happen in terms of nature and a collapse in biodiversity is a threat to our very security. Nature is our first and best line of defence against a changing climate. We also need to ensure the Presidency is used to retain stand-alone environmental funding, particularly LIFE funding. The Minister of State mentioned the competitiveness fund.”
“I wish to speak to the core point the Minister of State mentioned in his opening statement around a Presidency defined by action. This is an opportunity for Ireland to pull Europe back from the brink of the deregulation and simplification agenda. It is a time for us to reframe the narrative and our commitment to rapid decarbonisation and towards the Paris Agreement. We cannot do this, and call on other member states to do so, while we are abandoning targets here at home and disregarding our own climate Act. It is time for us to make statements on ending all investment into fossil fuel infrastructure. We need an EU migration pact which recognises displacement due to climate change, and one that is humane and compassionate. These are themes and topics we could pursue in our Presidency which would stand out and define us.”
“I join with others in commending the ongoing work by various Departments, led by the Department of foreign affairs, on our upcoming Presidency. Before I go onto the main point I wish to speak to, I ask that the Minister of State see this as an opportunity to showcase Ireland's heritage and unique culture - our built heritage, music, art and creative practices. It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Ireland's heritage across the European Union. It is also important for some benefit to derive from this Presidency to our regional towns and rural communities, where some of the meetings and gatherings could be held. I hope some of them will be held outside of Dublin. We must use the time well to ensure all of Ireland benefits economically, as well as socially, from the Presidency.”
“I commend Kieran, his teaching staff and the board of management of Stoneyford National School on showing such innovation to support their pupils and parents. It should be rewarded by the State, not penalised. Will the Minister of State commit to looking at the case of this school which has gone above and beyond to ensure full integration and inclusion in the school community? Surely this is what we all want to achieve: a society where there is no us and them and where it is just us, all of us le chéile. Unfortunately, I cannot stay for the Minister of State's response because I am needed at the committee on the Traveller community. However, I hope he can respond to this specifically. I really would appreciate it as it is hugely important for the school community.”
“In order to respond to the needs of the school, the board of management agreed to fund a part-time SNA to ensure that the school is resourced. This is still not enough, however. The Government's review has taken two months. One of the parents at the school spoke to the Minister of State last December because her daughter has Down's syndrome and is in the moderate needs learning class. All this is taking something precious away from the school, the parents and, especially, the children, which is time. In primary education, every day is precious, even more precious for a child with additional needs. It is now March, the school year will finish in a few weeks and we are still further from a resolution, a decision and an outcome.”
“As per Government guidelines and legislation, the school requested an urgent review to increase SNA resources. It spent one month documenting this and could not apply until November. It waited a further two months until February for a reply from the NCSE only to be told that because of new Government legislation, the 0.5 SNA allocation was to be taken from the mainstream, leaving those children with no support, and moved to the moderate class, which left both the mainstream and the MGLD class under-resourced. The school now has to enter into an appeal process to try to get this overturned in line with the Government's U-turn on policy. As far as I am aware, Stoneyford National School is one of about 30 schools that have set up MGLD units. It is innovative and ensures that mainstreaming can happen in a seamless way.”
“I say this, recognising the significant increase in the number of SNA posts funded by the Government and that which preceded it in recent years. Stoneyford National School is a lovely rural school nestled in the heart of the countryside in County Kilkenny. Its principal, Kieran Byrne, and staff teach around 140 pupils. Mr. Byrne did something really important for children with additional needs in the school by establishing an ASD unit, which has six pupils and is full, and a class for those with moderate learning disabilities. One of the main purposes of the moderate general learning disability, MGLD, class is integration into the mainstream but because of inadequate SNA resources with 0.5 SNAs given at the start and a requirement for all additional SNAs to be applied for, integration is not possible and the children are missing out.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Rinne an Rialtas dearmad mór le ceist na SNAs. Tá sé tar éis cur isteach ar thuismitheoirí, múinteoirí agus na SNAs féin. To say that the Government handled the SNA review badly could possibly be the understatement of the year. With access to advisers and civil servants, it is hard to comprehend that this matter was allowed to rumble on to the point of protests all around the country and significant upset among teaching staff, SNAs, principals and parents. I accept the statement made by the Minister earlier. While I welcome the statement and the review, I will highlight one of the many examples where anomalies exist and where policies sometimes do not meet the needs of children, families and schools.”
“The voice they tried to silence grew louder. Her legacy is new laws protecting indigenous communities from extractive industries and exploitation. Berta has become a powerful symbol for the power of women in the face of environmental degradation, the struggle for water and land rights and the fight for mother Earth. On this International Women's Day, we pay tribute to women environmental defenders all over the world and thank them for their efforts to restore our common home.”
“Berta is one of 2,200 environmental and land offenders murdered since 2012, with over 6,200 recorded incidents of attacks, many of which involved women. State, corporate and local actors are complicit in many cases. There is very little we can do here, apart from raise issues diplomatically or ensure that trade rules are not facilitating such exploitation. We should be aware as legislators, however, that our actions, how we fund development, the developments we fund and the new deregulation agenda are contributing to environmental destruction for the profits of corporates and the displacement of indigenous peoples. Indeed, this was found to be the cases in regard to the Agua Zarca project, which was part funded by the Dutch bank. Berta's murder led to a public outcry in Honduras and around the world.”
“Berta was an environmental defender and was defending her community along the River Gualcarque in Honduras from the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam project. High-ranking executives from the construction company, former military and the executioners were convicted and imprisoned for her murder. It was found in a recently concluded report that Berta was the victim of corporate crime. She was murdered because, in defending her community and environment, her actions could have potentially stopped the project and impacted on the profits of shareholders. This was not a unique or one-off incident. In fact, common tactics deployed by companies like DESA in this case were harassment, intimidation, the destruction of lands, restricting movement and even murder.”
“Indeed, I acknowledge all of the women in politics, the women Seanadoirí anseo and the additional challenges they face in the most patriarchal of professions. As an environmentalist, I know women and girls are at the forefront in suffering from the destruction and exploitation of our natural world. Displacement through climate breakdown, deforestation, the poisoning of our drinking water, conflict and extractive industries very often pushes families out of household settings and into refugee camps. Almost ten years ago to the day, on 2 March 2016, gunmen broke into the home of an indigenous Lenca environmental defender, Berta Cáceres. They shot her dead and injured her friend Gustavo Castro.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Is lá an-tábhachtach ar an bhféilire é Lá Idirnáisiúnta na mBan. Is lá é chun díriú ar an méid atá ar siúl inár sochaí ina bhfuil mná agus cailíní ar nós an t-athrú aeráide, an scrios agus an dúshaothrú. Tá mé ag iarraidh caint faoi na mná atá ag obair chun ár domhan a athrú agus a shábháil, de ghnáth ag baint óna ghnáthshaol chun é seo a dhéanamh. On this day of statements to mark International Women's Day, we have all spoken of the awesome women in our own lives and the women we know. I am fortunate to be surrounded by women and girls in my life, coming from a family of seven girls and an amazing mother, Kathleen, who reared ten of us. I have my lovely wife Jennie and the joy of having Kitty in our lives. I am part of a group in Seanad Éireann with three amazing and powerful women politicians.”
“If we begin the move away from expensive private providers of IP accommodation and embed a system of long-term State-led provision, we will find ourselves in a much better position to deal with future challenges. I think the Minister of State would recognise that this is the way forward and that we cannot continue to rely on these private providers. I look forward to the debate on Committee Stage, when we will also be tabling amendments. We have to realise that these waves of migration are going to continue because of climate change and conflict around the world. We have to have a system that is fair and compassionate for all.”
“The cold house approach, the kind of hostile environment beloved of the Tories in the UK, is not supported by evidence. Look at the post-Brexit numbers in the UK. The Minister of State knows as well as I that overriding factors determining IP numbers to Ireland are decisions made at the Cabinet table in Downing Street. Right now, the numbers are lower. The relentless pressure felt previously by my colleague Deputy Roderic O'Gorman in seeking to source accommodation has lessened somewhat. This is an opportunity. With lower numbers of arrivals, the Government has been given a moment in which to act decisively. While our IP decision system must be more efficient - and that will reduce numbers overall - we must not fail to take advantage of the lower arrival numbers to change the accommodation system.”
“I want to acknowledge that following investment on the part of the previous Government, the IPO is delivering its decisions on status in a manner that is far more timely. However, we have to separate out the policy we need from the policy that plays well in political theatre. This means adopting the pact and making our decisions more efficient, but it also calls for the Government to preserve basic legal human rights. It calls for the Government to place the same relentless focus on the accommodation side, as has been mentioned by others, and to move as quickly as possible away from private providers. It calls for broader procedure that does not involve the incarceration of minors and their guardians. We have seen no progress, in any real terms, on the roll-out of State accommodation.”
“The rules around family reunification are being tightened for no real reason. There is no requirement in this regard in the EU pact. There is a diminution of legal advices, which tests the limit of established due process, and there are fully desk-based reviews with no oral hearings. In this Bill, some of that is formalised into new structures that look to weigh the balance against someone seeking to access refuge here. While this may be a signal that the Government wants to send in today's debate, it is storing up new problems for the future and penalising people in desperate situations for no real policy benefit. We do need reform. We need decisions to be made efficiently and quickly.”
“What will be the consequences for our country of focusing on areas where problems do not exist, like the draconian family reunification changes that were not even required under the pact, while failing to focus on acute problems like the reception and accommodation side? I need to call out persistent efforts by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to muddy the waters about the approach taken to these issues by the previous Government, under which responsibility for immigration control, the International Protection Office, the refugee appeals tribunals and decisions on visas and family unification policy all remained with the Department of justice. The one area moved to the Department of children was responsibility for accommodation for people who were seeking international protection.”
“Given the tone of debates around migration and the heightened context under which this Bill has come before us, with regular social media posts of deportations and deportation flights, it is our duty, as Opposition Senators, to ask whether we are solely advancing solutions to real-world problems or bringing forward policies that are more to do with playing to a particular political line than improving our system. If it is the latter, what will be the consequences for those whom this claims to serve? I met with the Irish Red Cross today. I share the concerns of the coalitions of civil society organisations that have raised their concerns about this Bill.”
“We in Ireland have the benefit of being able to learn from the experiences of other jurisdictions, including the UK, regarding what is effective, what is compassionate, what is fair and what does not work. Speaking objectively, there are elements in this Bill that are needed. With it, the Government is attempting to address two decades of policy failure that led to an IP system which left people waiting years for decisions about their status. It is a system that buckled when Ireland started to experience the same IP levels as other European countries, a situation that was compounded by the war in Ukraine. This was a perfect storm; a confluence of factors that are very challenging to manage.”
“Níl aon dabht ach go bhfuil athchoiriú ag teastáil sa chóras cosanta idirnáisiúnta. There is no doubt we do need reform and certainly it is across the EU and at EU level that we need to make those changes. There can be no failure to recognise the modern nature of asylum or to plan for a system that responds to the reality of asylum, particularly in light of the volatile geopolitical situation across the world and migration that is driven by climate breakdown. The asylum and migration pact, although imperfect, is important and ensures that the EU works together. Going it alone like the UK did, as we can see, brings with it problems and makes things worse. The question of how this reform is implemented, with wider reforms being brought forward at the same time, is where we are at. We need to be extremely careful.”
“The hospital is performing extremely well under extreme pressure and that is down to the dedication of the staff and management team in the hospital.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the answer. We certainly recognise that there has been significant investment. However, the posts and capital projects we are talking about are absolutely vital given the population increase in the catchment. What has happened in St. Luke's over the past five years in particular has been something truly phenomenal and the staff are under severe pressure while trying to deal with the increased numbers. I welcome the additional investment but it is still not enough. These posts we are talking about are the absolutely vital component of that. Separately, it is hugely important that the Minister meet the management team and clinical staff of St. Luke's hospital as a matter of urgency to try to address these chronic shortages in the hospital.”
“These are the old long wards of the original 1941 hospital building, which served St. Luke's very well, but which became very challenging during Covid and had to be shut. The 86-bed Dolmen Wing ward block facility is a vital project that needs to be proceeded with. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.”
“To add to what my colleague has said, the population catchment around St. Luke's is significant and has grown significantly over the last decade. It includes parts of south Kilkenny sometimes known as Waterford. From our meetings with the hospital team, it is clear there is an especially critical need for these posts to be filled. As my colleague said, four medical assessment unit, MAU, consultant general physicians, one consultant respiratory physician, one consultant cardiologist, a consultant dermatologist, a consultant rheumatologist and two consultant neurologists are required. These staff are absolutely vital to the services that St. Luke's provides. The other issue in need of critical attention here is the development of the new-build Dolmen Wing ward block to replace the old medical one and medical two and surgical two units.”
“Iarraim ar an Aire breathnú ar cháinaisnéis na bliana seo chugainn agus troid ní hamháin ar son níos mó maoinithe, ach ar son ár dteanga choiteann le athchóiriú buan a bhaint amach. Gabhaim buíochas agus maithigí dom mo chuid Gaeilge.”
“Caithfidh an Rialtas níos mó infheistíochta a sholáthar agus breathnú ar thíortha eile, ar nós na Breataine Bige, áit a bhfuil an Bhreatnais láidir. Maidir liom féin, déanfaidh mé iarracht an Ghaeilge a úsáid níos mó i mo chuid oibre sa Seanad. Tá neart cabhrach agam sa bhaile le Kitty, Stiofán agus Tristan, a fheidhmíonn mar aistritheoirí neamhoifigiúla dom. As parents of Irish-language educated children who are of an age where we were not served well by the Irish-language education we received, we were disappointed with the strategy for Irish-language education in English-medium schools. We are disappointed that funding for Irish has not moved in the direction we would like it to, similar to the direction in Wales.”
“This has not stopped the school from delivering a wonderful programme across all years or providing a rounded and full education to our students. We need a new school building to grow numbers and provide a full range of facilities. Ar fud na hÉireann, tá dúshláin romhainn meánscoileanna a chur ar fáil do dhaltaí chun a gcuid staidéir a dhéanamh trí mheán na Gaeilge. Is saincheist í seo a gcaithfidh an Rialtas aghaidh a thabhairt uirthi. Teastaíonn níos mó éagsúlachta uainn inár mbunscoileanna agus meánscoileanna Gaeilge araon. Ní mór dúinn níos mó teaghlach ó chúlraí éagsúla a spreagadh chun oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a roghnú. Tá muid buíoch d’eagraíochtaí cosúil le Conradh na Gaeilge as a gcuid oibre chun an teanga a choinneáil beo.”
“B’fhéidir gur cheart dom inspioráid agus treoir a fháil ón bhfile Cathal Ó Searcaigh, a dúirt ina dhán "Fiacha an tSolais": Ach an té a dhéanann faillí i bhfiacha an tsolais nach follas go ndorchaíonn sé é féin d'aon turas. Is féidir an Béarla seo a chur air sin: But he who neglects the duties of light does he not see that he deliberately darkens himself. Tá muid buíoch go bhfuil ár bpáistí ag fáil oideachais go hiomlán trí mheán na Gaeilge anois i nGaelscoil Osraí agus Coláiste Pobail Osraí i gCill Chainnigh. Cé go bhfuil líon láidir daltaí sa bhunscoil, tá fadhb mhór againn leis an meánscoil. Táimid ag fanacht le scoil nua le breis is seacht mbliana anois ach ní raibh an scoil ar an liosta i mbliana, rud atá ina ábhar mór díomá do scoláirí agus tuismitheoirí araon.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá an Ghaeilge ag dul trí chineál athbheochana faoi láthair. Tá níos mó daoine ag foghlaim na teanga anois ná mar a bhí ag aon am riamh. Tá sé seo tábhachtach ní hamháin chun an cultúr a cheiliúradh, ach ionas go mairfidh an teanga féin. Athraíonn an ceol agus an cultúr go tapa; mar sin, tá sé tábhachtach a chinntiú go n-úsáidimid an deis seo chun cabhrú lenár dteanga ní hamháin maireachtáil, ach fás. D'fhoghlaim mé an Ghaeilge ag am nuair nach raibh fíordheis ann í a labhairt sa scoil nó i gciorcail shóisialta. Ba chóir dom féin a bheith ag déanamh níos mó anois chun an teanga a fhoghlaim agus a úsáid gach lá.”
“We all have deadlines to meet in various projects, etc., but when the deadline is there, we know it is looming and that in itself should be a driver in pushing for the resources required in various agencies to get the job done. I accept the Minister of State’s bona fides on this and the fact he would go back and revisit it were it not working but the time to strengthen this legislation is here, today. I ask that the Minister of State to give consideration to accepting these amendments.”
“I do, quickly. I will not delay the proceedings. I absolutely appreciate that. I have had engagement with IBEC on this. Certainty is really important and by leaving the "shall endeavour to", it leaves it very open-ended. Many of the challenges we are having with licensing and with planning are not because of judicial reviews necessarily or environmental objections. They are actually because of resources across various agencies of the State such as the EPA, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and so on. By having a very definite "shall", instead of "shall endeavour to", it certainly puts an onus on the State and focuses minds on addressing that resource issue.”
“When the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, was here on Second Stage, he clearly said that it is his intention to get the EPA to make decisions in a predictable and fixed period in the same way that An Coimisiún Pleanála now makes decisions. It is about delivery, which is what the Minister of State said at the opening. Certainly, this ambiguity does not help that delivery. It certainly will not fix the problem with decision-making. I ask him to accept this amendment.”
“I move amendment No. 9: In page 18, line 21, to delete “endeavour to”. This is a very simple amendment to change the words "shall endeavour to" to "shall". So, it is removing the words "endeavour to". This amendment is to oblige the EPA to make decisions within the timeline specified by the regulations. This is how the Planning and Development Act 2024 was written. I know because I have flashbacks to that time. The Bill has been written so that the EPA can continue to endeavour to make timely decisions but never have to actually comply with deadlines. Based on the Minister of State's contribution, this is contrary to what we are trying to achieve here. This is an oversight by the drafters.”
“I urge the Minister to work across government to ensure that our Defence Forces have the capability to carry out their functions effectively and diligently, and that we have the personnel and the numbers, particularly in the marine area and the Naval Service, to do this work effectively. I add my praise to the men and women of the Defence Forces, particularly on their overseas missions, of which we have a proud tradition in my family.”
“While we are purchasing equipment, and I welcome the increased investment in equipment, we should give consideration to supporting the likes of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to maintain the assets of the State. This is the property of the State. Our national parks, our maritime area, our marine protected areas and our nature reserves are all equally important to the security of the State. I thank the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann because it has a proud history and a proud tradition. I feel very proud of my father and that we have a family tradition in the Defence Forces.”
“My late dad, Terry, served three tours of duty in the Congo. At the time in the 1960s, we had the capability to send out over 1,000 troops. Today, we struggle to put out 300 on the ground. My dad served 37 years in the Defence Forces. He was very proud of his service but also deeply concerned about how it had been ignored by successive governments. I will come back to the issue of climate resilience and the weather patterns we are having here. This is about dual capabilities, buying equipment and providing aid to civil authorities Our Defence Forces and our Naval Service should be given the capability to deal with the issues around the storms we have had and the increased frequency of storms. During my term of office we had fires in our national parks and we had to bring in helicopters from Scotland.”
“The Reserve Defence Force was wiped out by a Government or Department review but it was a very effective means of recruiting young men and women into the Defence Forces. It is something we should give consideration to. I welcome the discourse here today. Notwithstanding the issues in the debate on neutrality and the triple lock, it is also important that we work collaboratively to restore a sense of pride among our Defence Forces personnel, equip them and give them the capability for the security of the State and peacekeeping. A UK Government report launched in January put out the proposition that climate breakdown and ecological breakdown are the biggest global security threats right now. We are all talking about security threats but climate breakdown is probably the biggest one and probably the cause of many of the conflicts we see now.”
“I will make a few points in this important debate. In general, the State buying military equipment is not really like going down the central aisle of Lidl or Aldi. We are buying capability. Armoured cars, ships and anti-drone capability come with people, weapons, training, doctrine, locations, storage and, of course, time. They are human-resource heavy and I do not see a huge effort. I welcome that the numbers in the Defence Forces are moving in the right direction. Young people watching social media and TV see plenty of ads for the British army, the RAF, the royal marines and the British navy. We should be seeing them for the Defence Forces here before GAA matches, encouraging our young people.”
“It is a whole-of-government policy introducing a comprehensive set of measures to ensure sustainability and development of volunteering across society. I pay tribute again to the national network of volunteer centres. As has been said, the issue of burn-out and the issues around compliance and due diligence in voluntary boards needs to be addressed but that support for our youth service in particular is absolutely essential.”
“I will speak briefly on an area of volunteering I feel is important and that is volunteering with and among our young people. My own son Colm is taking after his dad and volunteering with the Kilkenny No Name Club. He absolutely loves it. Volunteer-led youth work is hugely important. It is vital to our young people. I have worked in that sector myself and the majority are young people engaging through our volunteer-led youth clubs, yet, there is insufficient support for volunteer recruitment, retention, training and development. Volunteers are essential to sustaining youth work infrastructure, particularly in rural communities and community-based settings. The launch of the first volunteering strategy was a landmark step in recognising the unique contribution of volunteers.”
“It was in conservation work I found my love of volunteering; removing invasive species, doing bat counts, curating school gardens, tree planting and restoring river habitats. That love of volunteering led me onto voluntary boards and into other volunteer activity. Like many a volunteer, we do so because we get that sense of satisfaction from knowing we are not innocent bystanders and the best antidote to despair is action. I want to say a huge míle buíochas to the tens of thousands of people of all ages who volunteer in so many organisations across Ireland. There are people from new communities also who see volunteering as a wonderful way of integrating and feeling part of the community. I ask the Minister of State to take that on board. It is really important that new communities are included in the strategy.”
“She was a member of our local Friends of the Earth group. She was a volunteer with development education groups in Kilkenny and an active member of Amnesty International Ireland. Right up to the end of her life Susie was a volunteer. She embodied the volunteering spirit and so I wish Susie a heavenly happy birthday. Gan dabht tá luach ollmhór ag oibrithe deonacha dár bpobail timpeall na tíre. In my former role I saw the immense contribution of conservation volunteers across the country, from the Maharees to Killarney National Park, Abbeyleix and Ardee, Hometree in County Clare to the Acorn Project of my home county of Kilkenny. The Minister of State mentioned the wildlife rescues he visited and they do amazing work.”
“-----being allowed to come in at this stage but I felt it was important to speak on this matter. I am conscious that today is Susie Long's 60th birthday. Susie was a good friend and for those who may not remember, her courage in speaking out on the Joe Duffy show about her delayed cancer diagnosis after he read out her letter resonated with families all over Ireland and beyond. She spoke about the need for the ending of the geographic lottery for hospice care in Ireland. She found herself lucky in that she was cared for by the wonderful staff and volunteers of St. Francis Hospice in Harold's Cross and indeed we invaded the hospice ourselves with guitars to join her there. Susie herself was a lifelong volunteer and she did not just take up being a campaigner when she became ill. She was a secretary of the Home Birth Association of Ireland.”
“I fully support that. I have made the point on numerous occasions that if the line Minister or Minister of State is unable to attend for whatever reason that, at the very least, the Senator would be informed of that. It gives the Senator the option to withdraw the Commencement matter and resubmit it at a time when the Minister can be present. That is a very valid point.”