Mary Lou McDonald
Dublin Central · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Now he watches as Paudie, his other son, aged 16, deteriorates with the same disease. He says Paudie does not have weeks to wait. He says, "I can't lose him [too]. He is all I have left." That is what is at stake here. This is urgent. Caithfidh an Rialtas an rud ceart a dhéanamh dóibh siúd a bhfuil Friedreich's ataxia orthu.”
“We know that both scramblers and e-scooters are being used by gangs to distribute drugs, to openly and actively intimidate, and to evade the gardaí and, yet, we heard the Garda Commissioner say that there would be no chance of pursuit training until next year because of the EU Presidency. I found that really shocking.”
“Their hopes were very high that the HSE drugs committee would finally approve Skyclarys, but those hopes were to be dashed. The committee decided against approving the drug. Instead, it referred it to a rare disease review group. In other words, one committee passing the buck to another committee.”
“This cruel condition moves relentlessly, ravaging their bodies and their lives, yet the system stands still, putting up obstacle after obstacle, forcing them to wait and wait as time slips by. This drug was approved by the EU Commission back in 2024. Two years on, it is available in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Czechia.”
“So we are clear, it is not that all of this is frustrating for those living with Friedreich's ataxia; it is actually terrifying for them. I met Emily three or four weeks ago and I was speaking to her again on Tuesday. Even in that short time span, she told me that her swallow and speech had disimproved. We are on the clock here.”
“There is someone the Tánaiste knows very well in the Public Gallery. She is the unstoppable and heroic Cara Darmody. Cara has just completed her third 50-hour protest outside the Dáil, calling for real action for children and young people waiting for an assessment of need.”
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“Like him, I hope this will be the beginning of a really deep engagement that will involve sharing data, perspectives, politics, ideas and debate.”
“The question is not whether we can afford Irish unity; it is whether we can afford partition any longer. I completely agree with the Tánaiste that preparation is key. He spoke about rigorous analysis, planning and an open and inclusive discussion. To that I say, yes, yes, and yes again. I agree entirely with him on that but the real question is this. The preparation needs to be led not alone by a singular figure in Government - by the Tánaiste or his political party Fine Gael. It needs to be led collectively by all of them. The Tánaiste's initiative makes the position of his coalition partners in Fianna Fáil all the more striking, all the more extraordinary and, frankly, all the more inexplicable. I thank the Tánaiste for this opportunity and discussion.”
“Of course, that does not take account of issues around pensions, British national debt, defence spending, diplomatic services, etc. All of these are extant matters which, in my strong view, need to be discounted from that figure, notwithstanding the fact that as and when unity comes about, there will naturally be a discussion and a negotiation with the British state around the terms of disengagement and transition. We should take listen carefully to Professor Seamus McGuinness of the ESRI, who says that the subvention is no longer of a scale that can be considered a major barrier to reunification. Professor John Doyle argues that if the Northern economy performed at the level of the economies of Cork or Kerry, there could likely be no underlying fiscal deficit at all.”
“For people in the Border counties, the economic cost of partition was never an abstract concept, but the rest of us can miss that there was actually a price tag for all of us, not just for people in the Six Counties or those who live along the Border. Businesses faced unnecessary barriers and investment and infrastructure became fragmented. Both often stopped at the Border. We can change all of that. We can create opportunity and allow business to flourish. I agree with the Tánaiste that, far too often, economic debate and fiscal consideration have hinged on the subvention from the British Government. In other words, on a singular figure and a debate around what that figure is. Very often, £14 billion is quoted as the figure.”
“For too long we have been constrained by partition, with two jurisdictions, two tax systems, two sets of regulation, duplication of public services, fragmented and incomplete infrastructure and artificial barriers to trade, investment, higher education and skills. The Tánaiste referred to that. No economy, of its own volition, would choose to organise itself in this way. We have the opportunity to build one robust economy that will work in the interests of our people. When one enlarges a market, one creates opportunity. Businesses gain more customers, invest with confidence, create jobs and drive productivity and prosperity grows. Partition creates barriers; unity can remove them.”
“Our peace is secure and the next chapter of our national journey is without doubt the peaceful democratic achievement of Irish reunification. We all have a stake in that. Ten years on from Brexit, our constitutional and economic landscapes have fundamentally changed. The North has been taken out of the EU against the wishes of its people, yet we still maintain an open Border and free movement across the island. Cross-Border trade has grown from €4.5 billion to more than €17 billion, which is significant. Irish unity represents the greatest economic opportunity in the history of this island. That opportunity cannot be missed; it must be grasped.”
“I warmly welcome this initiative on the part of the Tánaiste. This is certainly not the first time that Irish unity has been raised on the floor of House, but, generally speaking, it is those of us of this political stripe and on this side of the House who have been pressing for it, so I sincerely thank the Tánaiste for his commentary, which I find constructive. Actually, I find it very refreshing that, as Tánaiste and leader of Fine Gael, he advocates that we embrace this conversation. That is exactly where we need to be. I commend the Tánaiste on that. This is a significant moment for all of us because the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is approaching. Let us review how far we have come.”
“We know that both scramblers and e-scooters are being used by gangs to distribute drugs, to openly and actively intimidate, and to evade the gardaí and, yet, we heard the Garda Commissioner say that there would be no chance of pursuit training until next year because of the EU Presidency. I found that really shocking. We have laws that are not enforced. We have communities left to their own devices. We have a situation that is literally out of control. The question in relation to e-scooters and scramblers is what is going to happen. We have laws that are not being enforced. We have gardaí who will not actively pursue. Then, in the case of e-scooters, we literally have the wild west. It is putting people, particularly young people, in danger. Communities are actively intimidated, terrorised, injured and far worse.”
“The Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, report on e-scooter related injuries for children is shocking. It reported that between January 2021 and August 2025, there were 1,130 attendances at CHI emergency departments due to e-scooter related injuries, and that over the past 12 months, there has been a 50% increase in the number of children and young people being admitted for traumatic brain injuries. We know that many have been injured and some killed, due to scramblers. Earlier this week, we had Grace Lynch's parents in the Oireachtas. We recalled her horrific death. I also raised the horrific injuries suffered by a young boy, Jayden Deans, as a result of scramblers.”
“I do not think it is acceptable that we would rise for our summer recess and leave terrified people. In Emily's case she is 28. In another case, Oisín is 27. Paudie is 16. They are terrified. They want their clinicians to have access to this drug. It can levitate their deterioration in some cases by as much as 50%. I am appealing to the Tánaiste. I am actually begging him to intervene and to do it now. I ask him not to stall or not to delay because these young people, others and their families are now relying on you, Simon Harris, to do the right thing.”
“So we are clear, it is not that all of this is frustrating for those living with Friedreich's ataxia; it is actually terrifying for them. I met Emily three or four weeks ago and I was speaking to her again on Tuesday. Even in that short time span, she told me that her swallow and speech had disimproved. We are on the clock here. Time is of the essence. Of course the science is important. We have to lead with clinicians and science, but it has been two years since this was cleared by the European Commission. This therefore is a process not so much guided by science as stalled and delayed by bureaucracy and indecision. I am appealing to the Tánaiste. I never take Leaders' Questions on a Thursday. I never have. I am standing before him for one sole reason. I am terrified for these people.”
“Now he watches as Paudie, his other son, aged 16, deteriorates with the same disease. He says Paudie does not have weeks to wait. He says, "I can't lose him [too]. He is all I have left." That is what is at stake here. This is urgent. Caithfidh an Rialtas an rud ceart a dhéanamh dóibh siúd a bhfuil Friedreich's ataxia orthu. Ní tráth moille é. Of course medications have to be properly assessed, but it has been going on for two years. Decisions have to be taken and time is running out. The Tánaiste can fix this. He can bring the pace and urgency that is necessary. The Taoiseach says he will not bring that. Right now, today, people living with Friedreich's ataxia are watching this exchange. They want the Tánaiste to intervene. They do not have weeks or months. They are now counting on him to do something to make this right.”
“This cruel condition moves relentlessly, ravaging their bodies and their lives, yet the system stands still, putting up obstacle after obstacle, forcing them to wait and wait as time slips by. This drug was approved by the EU Commission back in 2024. Two years on, it is available in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain and Czechia. It is available in Britain, Canada and the United States of America, but not here. The people who gathered on Tuesday outside Leinster House see people in other countries getting help while they are left to deteriorate. Emily Felix is one of these people. She is now 28. She has been living with Friedreich's ataxia since she was 12. She says the system is telling her that her life is not worth saving. Craig Coady from Cork lost 13-year old Rory to this condition last September.”
“Their hopes were very high that the HSE drugs committee would finally approve Skyclarys, but those hopes were to be dashed. The committee decided against approving the drug. Instead, it referred it to a rare disease review group. In other words, one committee passing the buck to another committee. That means more delay and more time wasting - time that these people simply do not have because this condition does not slow down. It does not pause. It does not stop for the summer holidays or recess, it just gets worse. It robs people of their ability to stand, walk and swallow. It can rob them of their sight and their speech. When Friedreich's ataxia strikes a person's body, it invades every facet of them. Time just changes for a person. Time moves far more quickly, and time is running out from many of these people.”
“There is someone the Tánaiste knows very well in the Public Gallery. She is the unstoppable and heroic Cara Darmody. Cara has just completed her third 50-hour protest outside the Dáil, calling for real action for children and young people waiting for an assessment of need. It is high time that the Government did the right thing, as Cara has asked for. In fact, the Tánaiste might take the opportunity to meet with her before she leaves Dublin. People in wheelchairs gathered outside Leinster House on Tuesday. They are people living with Friedreich's ataxia. This is a progressive degenerative neurological disease. They were here at the Dáil because they have been waiting two years for access to Skyclarys, a drug that can slow down the relentless progression of their condition.”
“Your dad won. The past will always be there but the rest of this life belongs to him, to you and to your families because that is the future your father has made possible.”
“To the young people in each of your lives - your sons, your daughters and your grandchildren - let me say this: I hope that, when you look at your dad's face, you see a hero, a man who faced unspeakable trauma and still found it within himself to seek truth and justice and to overcome. He did all of this not just for himself but for you too, so that you would know the lengths to which he would go to protect you - to protect any child - and to comfort and heal the young boy that still lives within him and to right a terrible wrong. That is the measure of your father. Every time he laughs or smiles, every time he holds you in his gaze, I hope you see this incredible courage, this honour and this unbreakable character. Know this too - Bill Kenneally did not win. The horror of his abuse did not win. Love won. The young boys of Waterford won.”
“Níor cheart dearmad a dhéanamh air sin riamh. On 18 June, Bill Kenneally died where he belonged - behind bars. Today, we name his evil crimes and the lifelong pain he inflicted on his victims. However, we cannot allow that horror to fully dominate the entirety of this story. The bravery, courage, resilience and refusal to give up of the men in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery today and of every victim of Bill Kenneally, including those who broke anonymity and those who did not and those who came forward and those who have not, have brought us here today. You exposed the truth. You brought Kenneally to justice. You stopped him. The State apology was not offered; it was hard-won by you for every victim of Bill Kenneally. Today, your strength, dignity and compassion shine brightly and powerfully above this darkness.”
“Of course, the State apology today is welcome but the Government's response cannot end there. The Government must act on all of the recommendations of the commission. Crucially, it must now deliver on its promise to provide survivors with redress and compensation. It is very wrong that no steps have been taken yet to fulfil that commitment. The lip service must stop from today. Urgent steps must now be taken with survivors to appoint a mediator without any further delay. This process must be expedited to ensure full justice and redress. Baineadh amach an leithscéal seo ón Stát de bharr neart na marthanóirí fíorchróga a d'fhulaing mí-úsáid uafásach ó Bill Kenneally agus iad ina mbuachaillí óga. Ba mhí-úsáid ghnéis leanúnach é agus theip ar na húdaráis é a stopadh. Ba iad na marthanóirí a thóg é chun ceartais.”
“It was not until 2012 that Kenneally would face any form of accountability, when Jason Clancy, then a grown man, made a formal complaint against Kenneally, bravely waiving his anonymity in order to pursue full justice. He was followed by others. A brave step broke decades of State inaction but it was only the start of a long and gruelling fight for the survivors. They endured another four years of an investigation before Kenneally was finally convicted in a court of law in 2016. He was convicted of further crimes in 2023. Of course, it took many years for the commission of investigation to be established in 2018. It was another eight years before the landmark investigative report of the commission was published last month. It has been 14 years from the time Jason Clancy made his complaint to this day.”
“Each and every time, Kenneally was set free and allowed to continue abusing young boys. While the commission found no evidence of collusion or cover-up, Jason Clancy hit the nail on the head when he said, "They enabled him to run rampant through this city for four decades ... the worst paedophile in the history of the state." The repeated failures to stop Kenneally happened in an era in which failure to protect children was hardwired into how this State operated. In recent times, we have heard the trauma of the Dunderrow women and the Creagh Lane men recited again as they continue to campaign for justice. We have witnessed survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools stage a 51-day hunger strike outside Leinster House just to get the Government to listen, never mind act.”
“Jason Clancy and Colin Power tell how Kenneally gifted them brand new Liverpool and Manchester United jerseys. To Kevin Keating, it was American football magazines. To Paul Walsh, it was Nike runners. To other boys, it was chipper food, cans of beer or lifts in his car. He repeated this modus operandi again and again. It was all cynically and demonically calculated to get close to young boys. That was the depth of Kenneally's depravity. He was allowed to run rampant throughout Waterford for years. The scale of failure documented in the report of the commission is breathtaking. The report outlines in harrowing and shocking detail how gardaí, senior church figures, school leaders, members of Kenneally's wider and very powerful family, and the South-Eastern Health Board all had opportunities to stop him but failed to take them.”
“He was a predatory sexual abuser of young boys in Waterford during the seventies and eighties, targeting boys between the ages of 11 and 17. For years, this was an open secret in Waterford. Local sporting clubs were his stalking ground, using his position in basketball, tennis and soccer clubs to lure young boys. He was an incredibly dangerous man, a predator who perfected an ability to groom, exploit and blackmail his young victims. Not only did he sexually abuse these boys, but he also tortured them psychologically. The level of depravity, perverse calculation, and heartless and soulless evil that this man perpetrated is beyond words. It was repulsive sexual abuse. He manipulated, intoxicated, isolated and blackmailed innocent boys. Kenneally was insidious. He exploited the pure innocence of these boys.”
“It was a long road that you should not have had to walk and a fight you should never have had to fight, but you did so with courage, dignity and compassion, supporting one another along the way, leaning on one another in very tough times, and sticking together no matter what. You were up against it all, including the terrible pain and injustice when State authorities that should have done everything to protect you from this monster let you down catastrophically, leaving you in harm's way. Those with the power to stop Kenneally had countless opportunities to do just that, but they failed again and again. To understand the gravity of that failure, we must understand the gravity of Kenneally's evil crimes.”
“"It has impacted every part of our lives. Personal lives, work, relationships, mental health, every single part of our lives. It’s always there". Those are the words of Colin Power, one of the survivors of Bill Kenneally. I will begin by paying tribute to those sitting in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, who suffered so much as young boys, and to all of their families, who join them in being here with us today. No words spoken in this Chamber will erase the profound hurt done to you by this man or make up for the failures of the State to protect you. You fought so hard for so long to force the authorities just to listen, to investigate and to finally bring Bill Kenneally to justice. It is a testament to each one of you that you never gave up or gave in and that you gave everything to see this day.”
“People living with Friedreich's ataxia are once again outside the gates of the Dáil. They are, as the Taoiseach knows, waiting and waiting for confirmation that they will have access to Skyclarys, a drug that has the potential to be life-transforming for them. In the absence of it, however, far too many of them see disimprovement in their physical experience, and their symptoms and conditions are accelerating. We have a number of them in the Public Gallery. I acknowledge David, Oisín, Emma, Cherie, Joe, Erica and Isabella. Emily Felix, whose specific case I raised with the Taoiseach a couple of weeks ago, is outside, at the gates. We need a decision from the HSE on access to this drug. I raised it with the Taoiseach last month. It was not on the HSE committee agenda. We need it to be on the agenda-----”
“It certainly is about enforcement. Scramblers might be banned from public roads in theory but that is far from the reality. I would invite the Taoiseach to come to my neighbourhood of Cabra, Finglas or the north inner city and he will see the reality. They are an absolute scourge and a source of immediate danger to people's lives. So much more has to be done. People on the ground do not see a Government action that is determined to get on top of this. They see a very lacklustre, half-hearted response. The GRA has stated that not one garda has the training in respect of pursuit of people on these vehicles. The policy of non-pursuit is hugely problematic. These gangs on bikes and e-scooters know full well they will not be pursued. They have to be pursued. The training has to be provided for the gardaí.”
“Real harm and real damage is being done. The question has to be asked today: what is the Government doing about it? How is it possible that it is so easy for anybody to walk into a toy store and walk out with an e-scooter? In many cases, these e-scooters are being bought and they are moving way beyond 25 km/h. They are moving at 60 km/h and 70 km/h. We know that the scrambler bikes, in reality, in many cases, are motorbikes. We know there is not the requirement to have these vehicles registered and to have those using them licensed and to have tax and insurance - all of the standard things that we expect of anybody else using the roads. I want to know what the Taoiseach is going to do. When is this going to change? When will the Garda be resourced? When will gardaí have the training?”
“Grace's Law was supposed to mark a real turning point for us. We are months on from its enactment and we see the plague of all of this getting worse and not better. Grace's parents, Siobhán and Martin Lynch, are here with us today in the Public Gallery and I welcome them. Later today they will appear at the justice committee. They say and they know that certainly not enough is being done to face down this scourge. They say correctly that unless the law is enforced, then it essentially means nothing. Martin, her dad, has told how his blood boils when he sees scramblers and e-scooters moving at high speed across our city with no consequences for the people on them. Lives have been lost. We know of the loss of lives in Carlow and in Galway. We know there are children on life-support machines in Temple Street hospital and beyond.”
“People in the north inner city of Dublin and beyond, across our suburbs in Finglas and Cabra and all across the country, are sick to the back teeth of gangs on high-speed e-scooters and scramblers literally bringing havoc and real danger to our neighbourhoods. They speed through our communities with absolutely no regard for anybody's safety not to mind the law. These vehicles are being used to deliver drugs. They are also involved in open intimidation and create a real sense of menace and a sense of fear in our neighbourhoods. When Grace Lynch, who was only 16, died when she was hit by a scrambler in January, the Taoiseach said at the time that everything would be done. He said, and I believe he told Grace's parents, that this death was enough, that Grace was enough, and that we were not going to tolerate this situation any longer.”
“Sandra Deans is living a nightmare. Three weeks ago, her 14-year-old son Jayden was knocked down by a speeding scrambler in a hit-and-run incident. Jayden was on his way to the shops and he was hit as he crossed the road at the Five Lamps in the inner city. When his mother Sandra got the call and hurried to the scene, she arrived not knowing whether her son was alive or dead. Jayden has suffered a very serious injury to his leg. He has been left with a broken mangled leg and incredible trauma. He is now confined to his home and needs constant care while he recovers. Sandra is understandably very distraught but she is also very angry.”
“This Presidency gives us the chance to show the very best of who we are, to prepare for our constitutional future and stand with workers, families and farmers, to be the voice for peace, democracy and international law and to ensure that Ireland's voice in Europe remains independent, constructive and true to the values that have long defined this nation.”
“The fact that Israel still enjoys a privileged trading relationship through the association agreement amplifies the egregious failures of the European system and its leadership of the people of Palestine, who face not just a deteriorating situation in Gaza and the West Bank, but who are being subjected to a genocide. It is very important that is named without equivocation. The agenda at a European level now needs to move absolutely clearly and frankly to a calling to account of Israel. Nothing short of that will bring about the necessary change that is required to protect the very survival of the Palestinian people. Ireland should also use the Presidency to ensure that voices and perspectives of militarily neutral states enjoy a greater place within the European Union.”
“Our second priority is to ensure that Europe works for ordinary working people because workers, families, farmers and small business continue to struggle with the cost of housing, energy and everyday life. Ireland's Presidency should champion an agenda that protects decent jobs, supports family farms, strengthens public services, delivers genuinely affordable housing and energy and ensures that economic progress benefits working people. The European project will only command people's confidence if it delivers real, tangible improvements in their daily lives. Third, Ireland must use this Presidency to stand firmly for peace, international law and military neutrality. In that regard, the case for comprehensive sanction of Israel is now unanswerable.”
“The European Union has made clear that in the event of reunification, the entire island of Ireland would return within the European Union. Responsible governments prepare for foreseeable constitutional change. They do not wait until the last possible moment. The Government should use Ireland's Presidency to begin structured engagement with EU partners on preparations that constitutional change in Ireland will require. As the only all-Ireland party represented in the European Parliament, in this Dáil, in the Assembly and across the island, we will continue our work with others throughout Europe to ensure that serious, responsible and detailed preparation replaces hesitation and delay. Ireland's constitutional future deserves nothing less.”
“Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union comes at an important moment, not just for Europe but for Ireland. Across Europe, people face increasing uncertainty. The war in Ukraine continues, the cost of living remains a daily struggle for many families, farmers face growing pressures and confidence in political institutions is being tested. It is at moments like this that leadership matters. Ireland has the opportunity not simply to chair the European agenda but to help shape it, and we should do so with confidence, purpose and a clear understanding of Ireland's national interests. We believe this Presidency should be guided by three priorities. First, and of immense domestic priority, we must use the Presidency to begin practical preparations for Irish unity.”
“The former Carlton Cinema site, which is at the heart of Dublin's historic 1916 battlefield and, of course, is core to the regeneration of the north inner city, has been bought at a cost of €80 million to facilitate the development of the MetroLink. Some €354 million has already been spent on MetroLink and not a single train has run. It now seems that the costs for this project are set to climb from the original estimate of €7 billion to €12 billion or maybe more. The Minister, Deputy Chambers, cannot give any definitive information on this. What will be the final cost of this project? Are we witnessing another national children's hospital fiasco unfold before us? Is there no point at which the Government will intervene to give clarity on the cost and to ensure that taxpayers are getting value for their money?”
“Nothing takes away the pain, nor ever will, but they have to be fully compensated. Will the Taoiseach agree to both of those because that is why they are with us in the Gallery today?”
“Seán Drummond received a sentence of two years and he served five months. These men - not just them, but their entire families - serve a life sentence on account of this abuse. The worst thing about it, of course, is that they were faced down so viciously by the State. Even when Louise O'Keeffe won, the State still faced them down. The information that then subsequently emerged was that a letter of confession had been written in February 1970. This demon had conceded and had confessed to the abuse he had carried out on these innocent children. That letter was concealed from the survivors and they want to know who knew about this letter. I think this is a matter of the utmost seriousness. There has to be a comprehensive investigation of this matter. Furthermore, full compensation is due to these men, as is their right.”
“Will he commit to the survivors that they will now finally be paid all of the compensation owed to them? These men have fought for years and they should not have to fight another single day more.”
“Creagh Lane national school should have been a safe place for children but Seán Drummond turned it into a living nightmare. Tá íospáirtigh Creagh Lane ag troid ar son ceartais agus cúiteamh iomlán le blianta fada. Theip ar an Stát iad a chosaint. Tá sé in am an rud ceart a dhéanamh faoi dheireadh do na fir seo, atá tar éis fulaingt an oiread sin. In 2018, the Taoiseach described the State's treatment of survivors like those from Creagh Lane as extraordinary, cruel and insensitive. Many of the men are now in their 60s. Some have died without seeing full justice and it is now finally time to do right by them. They have asked me to put some questions to the Taoiseach. Will he support the establishment of an independent investigation into the concealment of this letter and whether State agencies knew of its existence?”
“The investigation, the criminal case and the survivors' civil cases were conducted without this key piece of evidence. The confession letter itself constituted a prior complaint. Had it been disclosed, the men would not have had to fight until 2021 to access compensation. The concealment of Drummond's confession letter resulted in further pain, trauma and years of unspeakable distress for these survivors. We should not lose sight of what these men went through as children. John Boland spoke of the horrors endured. He said: "You'd be called up to the front of the class for some reason or another, [he] would put his cloak around you and start interfering with you." John told of a full school year hoping just to get through the days without being molested.”
“This was because they had not made a prior complaint of sexual abuse to authorities, even though their abuser was convicted in open court five years earlier. They had endured a lengthy Garda investigation which required them to relive the abuse and trauma they had suffered as children, yet the State Claims Agency and the defendants persisted in challenging the survivors. The anguish for these men did not end there, because later it emerged that Drummond wrote a confession letter, dated as far back as February 1970, in which he admitted abusing pupils in Creagh Lane school. Correspondence showed that the Christian Brothers in Dublin and Rome were fully aware of the abuse committed by Drummond, but the confession letter was concealed. It was never given to the survivors.”
“During the 1960s, young boys suffered horrific daily sexual abuse at the hands of former Christian Brother, Seán Drummond, at Creagh Lane national school in Limerick. Some of the survivors of that abuse are in the Public Gallery this afternoon. I welcome David Phayer, John Boland, Tom Hogan, Ger Smyth, Christopher Rainbow and Thomas Hogan. Tá fáilte rompu. These men were failed catastrophically as children and treated appallingly as survivors. For years, they had to fight the State for recognition, justice and full compensation. They were locked out of redress for years. Even following the landmark Louise O'Keeffe judgment by the European Court of Human Rights in 2014, they were still prevented from accessing compensation.”
“It is the party that refuses to lay that preparatory ground for that peaceful, orderly, democratic transition to a united Ireland. Remarks have been made about arbitrary deadlines and all the rest. After all the discussion, dialogue and negotiations - the long nights into the wee hours of the morning and beyond - in the end agreement was found precisely because structure, shape and deadlines were applied. Had we meandered and looked to the Irish establishment to rehearse ad nauseam all the reasons we cannot and all the things we cannot have, we would not have made the journey thus far. The Government's response is inadequate. I appeal to people to accept this modest proposal at this important moment in our journey to the peaceful reunification of our country. There is no avoiding the work that needs to be done; it needs to be done now.”
“In one day alone last weekend, we gathered 30,000 postcards addressed to the Taoiseach asking that this legislation by supported. That was on one single day. To anyone who believes this issue will go away, it is not going away. We will be back with this legislation because we know preparation is the only way forward - the Green paper and citizens' assembly. We make no pretence that is the totality of the work that needs to be done. Far from it. The Oireachtas committees need to continue and other platforms of dialogue and expertise need to be established. These are the basics. This is the most basic ask and request. For Fianna Fáil, in its centenary year, to push this back is a matter of wonder to me - the party of Dan Breen and Seán Treacy. It seems the party cannot see the wood for the trees.”
“They will see this - driven by Micheál Martin, of that there is no doubt - as a direct pushback against them. That generation is hungry. It has an appetite for change, that can see the next horizon and opportunity and that hears the same old tired, jaded rhetoric as blah blah blah and all the reasons we cannot have the Republic and have a new Ireland and all the reasons we will not trust and respect our people - nationalist, republican, loyalist and unionist, Catholic and Protestant people, people of all faiths and none. Catholic, Protestant and dissenter, is that not how Wolfe Tone put it? I say to those on the Government benches that they are grossly and vastly underestimating where people are at on this issue.”
“The case for this legislation has convincingly and repeatedly been made by Sinn Féin Deputies but also by Deputies across the benches, and convincingly so. However, we have not had a convincing response from Government. Inertia is not an answer. A long, meandering series of rhetorical statements and self-aggrandisement and God forbid, dining out on the heroism and courage of former generations, including family members, is not a thing. That does not cut the muster. I am a mother of adult children. I want to record in the House, because I think they are very reflective of their generation, what they hear and what they will see this evening. They will see the Irish establishment in all of its pomp and limited sense of the world standing on the ground that is comfortable for it, and that it knows and controls.”
“I thank people for contributing to this very important debate on this very important landmark piece of legislation that, in essence, is very simple. This is simply about planning, preparation and dialogue in that very spirit of respect and inclusivity that has echoed across the Chamber this evening. That is it. That is all we are asking for. We are not asking for a predetermined outcome to the referendum or to rush headlong into anything. God knows that is not going to happen here. We are simply asking that we do the work that needs to be done in an intelligent, informed and respectful way. I cannot countenance the alternative and I do not get the idea that we are for Irish unity but absolutely against planning for the conversation and process for orderly, democratic and peaceful transition that is required. That makes no sense at all.”
“Let us now walk this length of the journey with confidence, hope and real purpose. That is what this legislation is about. It is with this unwavering belief in Ireland and in all of our people that I commend this legislation to the Dáil.”