Mark Ward
Dublin Mid-West · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“The second largest part of the subvention is the €4.1 billion that relates to public debt. Ireland would have no legal liability to pay any part of this. The cost of defence and international relations is approximately €2.7 billion and almost none of this expenditure relates to activity taking place in the North.”
“It has not allowed us, as a nation, to reach our full potential. I also think it is important that we take the current financial situation in the North seriously. It is always disappointing when Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael use the North as a stick to beat Sinn Féin. Even the Labour Party used this tactic this week.”
“It has been a long-standing policy of Sinn Féin to bring waste management back to public control. Privatisation has failed ordinary people. Bin companies act like a cartel in how they raise their prices. When one company increases its price, the rest follow.”
“The total subvention includes central British Government costs allocated to the North that would not be relevant to a united Ireland and here is why. The subvention from the British Exchequer to the North was €16 billion in 2023.”
“I thank Deputy Sherlock for bringing forward this legislation to bring bin collections back to public control. I am disappointed but not surprised that the Government is opposing this legislation. Fine Gael has a long history and policy of privatising public services.”
“We have a situation that allows multiple bin trucks to operate on the same street. On my road there could be three different companies coming down the road, sometimes at the same time. This goes against everything we are trying to achieve to make waste collection more environmentally friendly.”
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“This is needed, particularly given the current global climate. However, the vagueness in this Bill is more likely to lead to abuse by the Government to stamp out political protest, political activism and free speech. Intention and the glorification of terrorism are open to interpretation. We cannot have a vague Bill and I will outline why. A clause in the Bill could criminalise those of us who wish to commemorate past Irish revolutionaries. Will the Minister commemorate the members of the good old IRA, such as De Valera, Lemass and Collins? Were they not considered terrorists of their time by the British establishment and the British Government? The language of glorifying terrorism contained in the Bill is open to interpretation.”
“I move amendment No. 9: In page 4, to delete lines 14 to 29. There is a need for robust legislation to tackle terrorism and terrorist activity. I know everybody can agree on this. I will hang on for a minute, if that is alright, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, if people want to leave while we are discussing Palestine and the genocide that goes on there.”
“I move amendment No. 8: In page 4, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: "(f) organising or facilitating travel for the purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, (g) providing training in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, (h) receiving training in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, (i) recruitment for purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, (j) travel for purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide,".”
“I have some concerns that the definitions in the Minister's amendment are overly expansive. They risk capturing non-terrorist activity and blur distinctions between intent and action, potentially granting disproportionate State power without sufficient safeguarding or clarity. Does the Minister have any concerns that the amendment's vague definitions could risk capturing lawful protest, activism, research or humanitarian work as terrorism by relying on expansive intent tests and extraterritorial reach that exceeds genuine security needs?”
“Can the Minister guarantee that those players who take to the pitch have not taken part in or supported the genocide of the Palestinian people? Can he guarantee that those who travel to Ireland to support Israel have not taken part or supported the genocide of the Palestinian people? I said to the Minister earlier that if he accepts that Israel has committed genocide, he must accept that the IDF is the instrument Israel is using to commit that genocide. If this is the case, I do not see how the Minister cannot accept our amendments.”
“The IDF has targeted healthcare staff, attacked hospitals and ordered healthcare staff to leave patients, including newborn babies, to die in incubators. It has targeted journalists. Nearly 200 journalists have been killed according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Israel will not let international news teams into Gaza. We have to send a message that Ireland will not tolerate this. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. We simply cannot do nothing. We cannot be bystanders to genocide and we cannot allow citizens of this State to facilitate genocide. Does the Minister know what we will be doing very soon because good men have done nothing? We will be welcoming former members of the IDF to play a game of football against the Irish team. This is absurd.”
“I accept that amendment Nos. 7 and 8 are connected to the amendments I spoke about previously but I will speak on amendment No. 8 and possibly come back in on amendment No. 7. We have to remind ourselves of what we are dealing with and why we cannot allow citizens of our State to serve in the IDF or any other armed force engaged in war crimes. In addition to the destruction of Gaza and the killing of tens of thousands through indiscriminate bombing, members of the IDF have engaged in the shooting of pregnant women and the burning alive of children as they slept in tents. The IDF has blocked aid, food and medicine from getting to a starving population. Its members have raped and sexually assaulted Palestinians, including teens, who have died as a result. This is not disputed. This is documented and justified in Israel.”
“I move amendment No. 6: In page 3, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: " 'travel for purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide' shall be construed in accordance with section 4F;".”
“I move amendment No. 5: In page 3, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: " 'recruitment for purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide' shall be construed in accordance with section 4F;"”
“I move amendment No. 4: In page 3, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: " 'receiving training in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide' shall be construed in accordance with section 4F;".”
“I move amendment No. 3: In page 3, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: " 'providing training in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide' shall be construed in accordance with section 4F;".”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: " 'organising or facilitating travel for the purpose of serving in the armed forces of a state engaged in war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide' shall be construed in accordance with section 4F;".”
“All these amendments are looking for is for the Bill to say that it would be an offence to join, train in or recruit for an armed force when that force is engaged in crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide. That is all these amendments are calling for. I do not think that is too much to ask. I accept that it may be something the Minister would not agree with at this time, but I do not know who is going to be sitting in his seat in five, ten or 15 years' time.”
“The Minister was right in saying at the very start that, right now, I was speaking about the IDF but I also did say that these amendments would stop future situations arising where another country could be inflicting genocide and war crimes on other people. They would stop people from Ireland being recruited into such organisations and training on these lands so it is not just about now with the IDF. It is about future situations that may arise. If the Minister accepts that Israel is committing genocide, then he must accept that the IDF is the instrument Israel is using to bring about the horrific situation we see in Palestine at the moment. The Minister said that the IDF has committed war crimes.”
“It is time for the Irish to hold Israel to account because of the daily horror inflicted on the Palestinian people. I ask the Government to support the amendments we have tabled, which basically seek to stop the IDF from being allowed to train on Irish soil and to stop Irish civilians from going abroad and training with the IDF.”
“Members of the IDF are on record admitting to this. They have shot unarmed and starving civilians who were queueing for food. They were queueing for food because of a man-made famine created by Israel. Members of the IDF have killed many innocent children. Last year, UNICEF estimated that at least 50,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza. In total, 75,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered by Israel since the bombardment of Gaza began. Why does Israel continue to break international law? Why does it continue to commit genocide? It is because there are no sanctions and Israel is allowed to get away with it. I do not see the amendments we are tabling today as being any less important than enacting the occupied territories Bill. It is time for the Irish to take decisive action.”
“It is absolutely horrific. Last year, my colleague Chris Andrews was in a similar situation and he has testified how he and other detainees were treated by the IDF. What is the crime these people are accused of? All they are looking to do is break Israel's horrific blockade and deliver vital aid to Gazans, who desperately need help. I call on the Irish Government to demand the immediate release of all the citizens who are detained and to seek urgent clarification of their whereabouts. We do not know where they are. There are 15 Irish participants, as well as hundreds of other civilians, who have been taken off these boats. What we saw on that footage today is what is happening right now. This adds to what we know the IDF has already engaged in. It has engaged in the arbitrary killing of civilians.”
“It is about the future and future-proofing legislation so that future Governments and whoever sits in the Minister's seat will not be allowed to permit the IDF or any other organisations involved in genocide to train with our military on Irish soil. Even today, there is footage of the IDF mocking peaceful activists kidnapped in international waters. Today, the IDF is breaking international law. It is being led by Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, who happily had a birthday last week where his birthday cake had a noose to symbolise that he hopes to be able to hang Palestinian people. This is absolutely inhumane. He can be seen walking around in the footage waving a flag and mocking detained citizens. Some of them are our citizens who are being put into a corner with their heads bowed to the ground and not allowed to look up.”
“Sinn Féin's amendments are designed to address citizens of the State travelling or training to participate in genocide and war crimes. They also outlaw recruitment by the armed forces of such a state. Our amendments would also have the effect of preventing the IDF or other armed forces engaged in genocide or war crimes from training with the Irish Defence Forces. It was revealed that IDF military personnel have trained in the Military College for a period of six years. This is something that would not be permitted under Sinn Féin's amendments. Is this something that the Minister would stand over? Would the Government allow this to happen now? I suspect the Minister would not allow this to happen at this moment in time but the Bill is not just about today.”
“This group of amendments and existing legislation in this area ignores the pressing terrorism crisis of our time, namely the actions of the IDF in Palestine. Current laws do not prevent people from joining a military organisation engaged in genocide and gross human rights violations. While this now arises in regard to the actions of the IDF, it may in future arise in regard to the armed forces of other states engaged in war crimes which recruit what are in fact mercenaries. The IDF recruits foreign fighters, just as others who are targets of this legislation do. The EU directive dates from a period when ISIS was at its peak and there was a significant problem with the people travelling from Europe to join ISIS.”
“I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 3 of Principal Act 2. Section 3 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following new definitions: “ ‘crime against humanity’ means any of the acts specified in Article 7 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court; ‘genocide’ means any of the acts specified in Article 6 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court; ‘war crime’ means any of the acts specified in Article 8.2 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court.”.”. This amendment is necessary as a foundation for later amendments defining the circumstances in which it would be an offence to join, train or recruit for an armed force when that armed force is engaged in a crime against humanity and war crimes.”
“I submitted parliamentary questions to the Minister for justice that were ruled out of order, stating that the Minister has no responsibility for these actions, which I find a bit bizarre. What the residents of Saggart are looking for is a safe well-managed village environment for everybody in Saggart to enjoy and they are calling for high-visibility policing for Saggart and the surrounding areas. Is this something that Government can support?”
“As the Tánaiste is aware, Saggart is the location of a State-owned IPAS centre. This was purchased by the State without any meaningful consultation with residents or Opposition TDs. Sinn Féin submitted an amendment to the recent International Protection Act for community consultation but the Government opposed this. Any area that has seen an increase in population like Saggart will see pressure on existing facilities. One of the measures that people in Saggart have been calling for is high-visibility policing. I welcome the recent announcement of the high-visibility programme in parts of Dublin and across the country, but residents of Saggart were extremely disappointed that they were not included in this programme.”
“Can the Minister of State even guarantee that the Israeli players themselves are not or were not members of the Israel Defense Forces? Are we going to stand by and allow supporters and perpetrators of genocide to enter our country? This part of it is the Minister of State’s responsibility. I urge the Minister of State to stop the game: do not play ball with genocide and be on the right side of history.”
“The Minister of State mentioned sanctions on Russia. The Government has still not enacted the occupied territories Bill. We are still waiting. That was a promise in the programme for Government. What the Government has responsibility for is who comes into our country. Can the Minister of State guarantee that those arriving to support Israel have not taken part in or supported genocide? What security measures will be in place to stop people who have taken part in or supported the slaughter of 75,000 Palestinian people from entering Ireland? How will the Government screen for those who have committed the most barbaric crimes from entering the country? Will they be arrested at the airport for crimes of collective punishment, mass displacement or genocide?”
“The signatories are calling for the game to be stopped on the basis that Israeli teams are playing on occupied Palestinian land and that Israel has a brutal system of apartheid and has committed acts of genocide. The Government accepts that Israel is an apartheid state and is committing acts of genocide. It is inconceivable that the Irish Government is willing to stay silent on this matter while these crimes are going on in the name of football.”
“Let us get real here. The Minister of State is ducking any responsibility. If the Government opposed Ireland playing Israel in an international soccer match, the FAI would follow suit. Yesterday a campaign was launched to stop the game between Ireland and Israel. An open letter was signed by many people in Irish soccer, including Brian Kerr, Joe Redmond, Pico Lopez, Louise Quinn and Roddy Collins as well as people outside soccer, including Christy Moore, Senator Frances Black, Kneecap and the Fontaines DC. I am a season ticket holder for the FAI. As a basic human being, I will not attend that match. Last year, the FAI passed a motion to suspend Israel from UEFA competitions. The Government and the FAI must respect that mandate.”
“Will the Government call for a boycott of the upcoming Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel on the grounds that Israel is an apartheid state that has engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide? What engagement has the Minister of State had with the FAI on the matter? If he thinks it is okay to ban Russia from international sport, why can the same rule not apply to Israel? Will the Minister of State stop the game and refuse to play ball with genocide?”
“That service is suspended as well. There are currently over 7,000 children in my area alone who are overdue an appointment for an assessment of needs. If you live in Lucan, you can expect your child to wait over two years for a speech and language therapy appointment. There are also 800 children waiting for an appointment for child and adolescent mental health services. That is just in Dublin Mid-West. Whatever work is going on behind the scenes really needs to happen quickly because patients, including children, are being left behind. The problems that they have now, because they are not being addressed, are just going to get worse.”
“Larry, who is 80 now, could be 90 before he gets the stairlift he badly needs to get up his stairs. That is simply not good enough in a modern society. The Minister of State spoke about waiting list reductions and said there were 1.3 million appointments. That is absolutely fantastic but the reality in Dublin Mid-West as we speak is that if you live in Palmerstown and are waiting for an appointment for a physiotherapist, you will be left waiting because the service is suspended. A parent of a newborn child will not receive developmental checks for his or her baby if they have to go to Rowlagh health centre. This is because of staff shortages. The average waiting time to see a psychologist for a child in my area is four years. An adult living in Lucan who wants to see a psychologist will not get an appointment.”
“I thank the Minister of State. She mentioned priorities, triage and how people are assessed. Larry, who is 80 and whom I spoke about, is not priority 1. He is priority 2, and that is why he must wait for six years. Angela, who broke both her hips and has not been up her own stairs in two years, is not priority 1. She is priority 2. Sarah-Jane, who has to rely on her 71-year-old mother to get washed, is also not priority 1. She is priority 2. Whatever this triage system is, it is not working because Larry, Angela and Sarah-Jane are falling through the cracks. To make a bad situation even worse, if Larry, whom I will use as an example, has to wait for six years for an occupational therapy appointment, he will probably have to wait a further three or four years to get the disabled persons grant from South Dublin County Council.”
“The HSE also told Sarah-Jane she needs to recoup the costs from South Dublin County Council. I have been a councillor and know how South Dublin County Council works. It is not possible for residents in council homes to recoup the cost of private occupational therapists from South Dublin County Council. However, if Sarah-Jane lived in a private home and paid for private healthcare, she could recoup the costs. This is a two-tier system that discriminates against those who rely on the public health service. There is nobody who is not on the same page. I do not think there is a person in this House who would agree a six-year wait for an occupational therapist, so people's quality of life can improve, is acceptable. I am looking forward to hearing the Minister of State's response.”
“I have written to the Minister for Health and have requested that she urgently examine these cases and introduce the necessary measures. I do not know what the Minister of State's response will be, but if it is a matter of a staffing issue, it must be addressed urgently. Six years is far too long to wait. Furthermore, there is a postcode lottery for care in Dublin Mid-West. If the three people I mentioned were in a catchment area in the constituency with a different primary healthcare centre, I expect they would not have to wait so long. Care should be based on need, not on where you live. Also, it should not be based on the ability to pay. In the response I received for Sarah-Jane, the HSE advised her to go private. A public health service that is in place to serve the public is telling patients they should go private.”
“She has told me she has to travel to her daughter's home in a different county just to be able to wash herself. She has also been told she will be waiting 330 weeks for an appointment. Sarah-Jane is a young woman in her 30s but she has mobility issues and needs the assistance of her 71-year-old mother to be able to shower. Her mother is finding this more difficult over time. Sarah-Jane was referred in March 2022 for an occupational therapy appointment so she could adapt her home. She was not told she would have one in 330 weeks like the other two constituents; rather, she was told there was no appointment date for her. She is not even getting an appointment in six years. Such delays are having an abject impact on people's quality of life. These are just three cases. I could mention more from my constituency.”
“Larry is to turn 80 this year. He needs a stairlift installed in his home because he has a pacemaker due to a heart condition and is regularly out of breath. I contacted the HSE for Larry and the response I got was that he would be waiting 330 weeks for an appointment. That is over six years. The Minister of State has to agree that a six-year waiting list for an occupational therapist for anybody is unacceptable. I am lost for words that an 80-year-old man was told he must wait six years for occupational therapy. I was speaking to Larry myself and he told me that when you get to 80, you are lucky to think six months down the line, never mind six years. Angela is a woman in my constituency. She is not 50 and broke her hips two years ago. She has not been able to go up the stairs in her home since.”
“I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. I am disappointed that the Minister for Health - or a Minister of State with a health brief - is not here to respond to the debate. I have been informed by some of my constituents about unacceptable waiting times for occupational therapy. Occupational therapy is important for people who may have suffered an injury that requires their home to be adapted. An occupational therapist will visit a person's home and compile a report in respect of the disabled person's grant The relevant form cannot be completed without an occupational therapy report. The form will not be accepted by South Dublin County Council without such a report, so it is vital. I will speak about three of my constituents who received this news. I have their permission to mention them tonight.”
“However - here we go again with the same names - this was voted down again by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and some Independents. Because of them, the people in Balgaddy will have to pay more rent while having to live in these substandard conditions. A working group was set up in Balgaddy but they are working in a vacuum. Elected representatives are not on this working group nor are residents. I have called for this process to be changed so that people in Balgaddy can have their voices heard. Some of the nicest people, my best friends and the best people in my area come from Balgaddy, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to see them being left behind and having to pay more to live in these horrendous situations.”
“Méile an Rí, Tor an Rí, Buirg an Rí and parts of Foxdene Avenue were built almost 20 years ago. Since they were built, there has been constant problems with damp, mould and leaks. I have witnessed water literally running down people's walls. South Dublin County Council has said it is committed to dealing with the housing maintenance issues in Balgaddy, and I acknowledge there has been some progress. However, residents will tell me it is simply not enough. They continue to live in unacceptable conditions, and like the flat complexes in the inner city, residents of Balgaddy are having to pay more to live in these substandard conditions. Sinn Féin Councillor William Carey has done Trojan work in trying to get South Dublin County Council to review the rent increases.”
“This is not good enough. This motion we are talking about today calls on Government to fund Dublin City Council's proposed retrofit and regeneration in inner-city flat complexes and to put the views and the needs of the strong, vibrant, long-standing inner city communities at the centre of this policy, like the people we see here in the Public Gallery. They need to be at the heart of this conversation. I genuinely do not think this is too much for people to ask for after decades of neglect. As Deputy Ó Broin said, the European Committee of Social Rights concluded the Irish Government was found to be in breach of Article 16 of the European Social Charter, which protects the rights of the family to social, legal and economic protection, including the provision of adequate family housing. Balgaddy in my area was part of this ruling.”
“Councillors from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the Green Party and some Independents inexcusably voted to increase rents on these hard-pressed families. You could not make it up. The message from these councillors is, "We are going to leave you in squalor but we are going to ask you to pay more for the privilege."”
“Dublin City Council has 100 flat complexes built right across the city, which were built between the 1930s and 1960s. Years of poor maintenance by the council, compounded by under-funding by central government, has created a situation where living conditions in these flat complexes are some of the worst you will see anywhere else, never mind in the city. We have seen countless reports of damp, mould, rodent infestation and chronic overcrowding in the flats. There are not enough sport facilities and community facilities, and this is so unfair for hardworking communities who have to live in these flat complexes, like the people I met in Henrietta House today. Do you know what is even more absurd than having to live in these horrific conditions? It is being asked to pay more to live in them.”
“I thank my constituency colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, for bringing forward this motion here today. The issue of regeneration of inner city flat complexes is not new. I was actually in Henrietta House today, canvassing on behalf of Janice Boylan for the upcoming by-election, and you could not meet a nicer bunch of residents. One woman I was speaking to asked me to come in here to give the Government hell for the conditions she has been left in. She also asked me to say "Up the flats", so I am saying "Up the flats" on her behalf. That is for you, Dee. Dee, and residents like her, do not deserve to be left behind by this Government. My mother originally lived in Dolphin's Barn and my father lived in Keogh Square in Inchicore. They talk about the living conditions back in the 1960s but things have not improved.”
“It is often the case that the taxi fares people pay are more than what they pay for the flights they are taking out of the country. I urge the Minister to consider interim options. I take the point on the Citylink service from Galway to Dublin, which comes down the M4 and does not stop on the way. A stop would help some people along the way, especially in Lucan, Palmerstown and parts of Clondalkin.”
“I welcome the fact that the Minister is going to have a conversation with the NTA regarding the consideration of interim solutions. If I were to travel from Neillstown, where I am from, to the airport today by public transport, I would have to take three buses. If I travelled via Adamstown I would need to take a train and bus, that is, if I was lucky to be able to get on a train. DART+ South West was mentioned. That needs to be built as soon as possible. Many people in my area, myself included, have no choice but to get taxis to the airport. I checked prices before coming into the House and discovered that the cost of getting to the airport from different parts of my constituency by taxi ranges from €50 to €90.”
“Can consideration be given to taking the Dublin Airport Hopper under the public service obligation in order that we can have at least one direct route to the airport?”
“There was a private operator, the Airport Hopper, in Dublin Mid-West until February 2025. It provided an economical route to Dublin Airport for residents of Tallaght, Lucan and Clondalkin. The operator closed because the service was not financially sustainable. The Minister mentioned public service obligations. I understand when a privately run service stops, the State can take it over through the public service obligation. This essentially means that the route would remain in place, but would be operated publicly by the NTA. I received a response from the NTA that it is not considering a public service obligation. Instead, it will begin a new service between Blanchardstown and Clongriffin. I am delighted for my colleague Deputy Donnelly in Blanchardstown and Clongriffin, but that is no good for people in Clondalkin, Lucan and Tallaght.”
“It is an ordeal to get from Dublin Mid-West to the airport. What public transport options are available to Dublin Airport from Dublin Mid-West for the residents of Clondalkin, Lucan, Palmerstown, Citywest, Newcastle, Saggart, Brittas, Fettercairn and Rathcoole? Are additional routes being considered?”
“It preserves the same protections a person would have in criminal proceedings but requires that any refusal to answer under section 10 be specific, justified in writing and reviewable. Subject to those safeguards, witnesses must answer all relevant follow-up questions arising from their evidence or documents.”
“Any refusal shall— (i) be provided in writing or on the record, (ii) set out the specific legal basis for the refusal, and (iii) be subject to review by the Chairman for adequacy and reasonableness, and (c) subject to paragraph (b) , a designated person giving evidence under section 10 shall answer all questions put to him or her, including supplementary or follow-up questions arising from— (i) answers given under section 9 or 10 , (ii) any written statement provided under section 5(5)(a) , or (iii) any document, record or information relevant to the topics, areas of inquiry or matters specified in the relevant decision under section 5 or 6 .”. This amendment clarifies the limits on compellability when evidence is taken.”
“I move amendment No. 24: In page 12, to delete lines 5 to 10 and substitute the following: “(5) For the purpose of giving evidence— (a) under section 9, a designated person shall not be compelled to give any evidence which he or she could not be compelled to give in criminal proceedings in the State, (b) under section 10 , a designated person may refuse to answer a question only where answering would give rise to a substantial and objectively reasonable risk of prejudice to a legal right or privilege recognised in criminal proceedings in the State.”