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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,050 lines we hold for Mary Lou McDonald, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 18 of 21.
“I once dreamt of being a lawyer, a doctor or nurse, having a family of my own. Now, I am a young woman alive but not living. Please help me live again. Endometriosis is a crisis in women's health. It is a chronic, inflammatory and whole-body disease that affects the pelvic region, uterus, fallopian tubes and cervix. It effects one in ten women in Ireland and yet it takes nine years for a woman to get a diagnosis here. Often, by the time an endometriosis diagnosis is received, the disease has spread beyond the reproductive system. It can travel to the bladder, bowels, diaphragm and even the lungs. Instead of receiving excision surgery here in Ireland, many women and girls are forced to travel abroad to have the specialised surgery and to receive an official diagnosis.”
“Being a young woman once full of hopes and dreams, now completely numb. I don't allow myself to feel because if I do, I won't be able to stop. I have to watch my friends move on with life, going to parties, graduating, getting their licences and so much more, while I hate weekends because it means a doctor won't call to set up my surgery. How sad. An 18-year-old who hates weekends. I need the surgery to see if I have endometriosis. It has been three and half years. I have been patient. I have done everything the doctor told me to do. I am fully dependent on my mam. I get headaches that blur my vision. I have pain peeing, stomach pain. I’ve had bleeding constantly with breaks only of a few days. How am I meant to stay happy and hopeful when no one is listening to me or helping.”
“I want to read to the Taoiseach a letter from Nikita Clarke, who is from Dublin and who I met recently. She suffers from suspected endometriosis: Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this letter. Please listen carefully, this is not easy to talk or write about. I am 18-years-old and instead of getting my driver's licence, picking out a Debs dress, studying for my leaving cert, going out with friends or getting a job, I spend my days sitting bed in horrific amounts of pain. My days just roll in all together. I barely get any sleep because of pain. Everything I do isn't without a high level of pain. Walking hurts. I have to use a walker and a wheelchair to get around. I need help getting dressed, having a shower, doing my hair, going to the toilet. It's humiliating.”
“The number of schools in financial distress has soared. In the 2022-23 school year, five schools were referred to the financial support services unit, but the number has jumped significantly to 34 schools this year. Nearly half those are DEIS schools and special schools. The sharp increase in operating costs sees many schools struggling to keep the doors open. Since early last year, Rutland National School, which is in my constituency, has been pleading with the Taoiseach's Government for help with soaring insurance and utility costs but has had no positive response. The school has been hit, would you believe, with a water bill of nearly €9,000. It is living with real uncertainty, and the school is not on its own in that. We know that Government funding simply does not match the costs that schools face.”
“Under Standing Order 35(3) I wish to move an amendment such that, for Thursday's business, a proposal No. 4 be included, on the establishment of committees. We have waited far too long for this. The idea that we wait until the middle of May before we have committees up and running is unacceptable at this point, and I believe it can and should be remedied. We have a lot of very important issues arising-----”
“This is profound dysfunction - a pattern of it within the fabric of this organisation. The chairman of the board has resigned. Does the board and the rest of the executive need to follow him?”
“Dúirt an Taoiseach go bhfuil an méid atá sa tuarascáil dochreidte, ach níl sé seo fíor mar bhí a fhios ag an Rialtas agus bhí a fhios ag na tuismitheoirí an méid a bhí ar siúl i CHI. The Taoiseach said this is incredible. It is certainly shocking and deeply unacceptable but it is not incredible. This was known. Parents knew it. Advocacy groups knew it and raised, again and again, wide-ranging systemic issues around governance, a lack of management and issues around informed consent. Deep ethical concerns were raised again and again and were ignored. Families and advocates met a brick wall. That is the truth. I do not know if the Taoiseach has studied the report in any detail but this is not simply a matter of clinical decisions made in discrete circumstances in an operating theatre. Of course, the clinicians need to be accountable.”
“The Taoiseach must account for the Government's and the Ministers' failure to act. I am aware that the chairman of the board of Children's Health Ireland, CHI, has stood down. However, in relation to the remainder of the board and the executive of CHI, has the Taoiseach confidence in them?”
“Cuireadh leanaí i mbaol in áit iad a chosaint mar ba chóir. The trust of children and their families has been shattered. It was a case of all promise and no action from Government. Yesterday the parents of 14-year-old Daniel Collins went to the media to call for an end to their child's suffering. He has been waiting so long for surgery that he now needs two operations. He lives with pain so severe and chronic, he is forced to sleep upright and cannot lie on the flat of his back. Daniel is not alone. Despite a litany of promises, there are 233 children still waiting for spinal operations that could change their lives. Today's report must now act as a catalyst for real and meaningful change. The Government must, of course, commit to ensuring that all of the report's recommendations are urgently implemented.”
“It is the responsibility of Government to ensure the most robust, effective and safe practices are in place at all our hospitals. The failures at Children's Health Ireland were known for years and known to Government and yet nothing was done. We are now witnessing this pattern of behaviour, dysfunction and scandal repeated again with regard to unnecessary hip surgeries on children. There must be accountability all round, including political accountability. These failures span seven years and two health Ministers and were raised many times at the very highest level and were raised here in the Dáil. Government stood back and allowed this disaster for children's healthcare to happen and to go unchecked. Caibidil cháinteach eile atá sa tuarascáil seo i dteip leanúnach an Rialtais ar leanaí le scolóis agus spina bifida.”
“These failures cover every area - management, governance, risk assessment, ethics, informed consent - and happened because Children's Health Ireland is not fit for purpose and was allowed to carry on in that way. There was no overarching framework for governance; different doctors were working at different hospitals under different rules; there were separate procurement processes across each hospital; and there were no proper checks or oversight of process. Parents were kept in the dark about the true nature of the surgeries carried out on their children and there was very poor follow-up care for the children involved. These are all the hallmarks of an organisation playing by its own rules, outside of normal practice and with zero consequences.”
“"Children were not protected from the risk of harm." That is the line that really sums up the HIQA report into governance failures at Children's Health Ireland, CHI, published this morning. The investigation was commissioned following revelations that non-approved springs were implanted in three children during surgery at Temple Street Hospital. My first thought today is with those children and their families. This report is a damning litany of failure: failure of governance; failure of management; abject failure by Government to act and Ministers to do their job. This is, after all, the body that runs the major children's hospitals in this State and the failures were widespread and systemic. Children's Health Ireland failed abysmally to keep children under its care safe - in fact, it put them in harm's way.”
“Will the Taoiseach now again give a clear-cut commitment that every child will have access to a suitable school place come September?”
“Today, parents of children with special needs from across the country will again begin an overnight sleep-out at the gates of Leinster House. These parents cannot find suitable school places for their children. It is a deep and long-standing crisis. Notwithstanding the Taoiseach's answer to Members earlier, the fact is that hundreds of children are locked out of the education to which they are entitled. When I raised this crisis with him in February, he said he would do everything to ensure that every child waiting for a school place got one in September. However, the parents are now beside themselves with worry because, following a meeting with the Minister for Education, no such guarantee was made or given. These children and parents deserve that guarantee. They should not be forced to protest again outside the Dáil.”
“I ask him not to allow Trump's tariff play to become an alibi for not grasping those infrastructural challenges and for not meeting them head-on.”
“The seriousness of the situation is not in question nor is the need for collective action. I ask for a response to my suggestion that the Taoiseach convene a meeting of all party leaders across this House. That needs to happen as a matter of urgency. It is helpful to recall that Ireland is and will remain a very attractive location for investment. The Taoiseach has acknowledged that the era of tax deals, some of which were questionable and controversial, is now behind us, not least because of the evolution of the global taxation system. I will repeat that a focus on infrastructure, skills, research and development and basic public services, including childcare services, and the absolute imperative to provide working people with a roof over their heads are now front and centre. I will repeat my request and ask the Taoiseach to respond.”
“It is disappointing that he refused to agree to a Dáil debate this week on the threat of US tariffs. The reality is that there will be no winners in any trade war. It is also true, however, that ordinary working people pay the heaviest price. Workers and families in Ireland are already struggling with the cost of living. The Government must ensure that they are not forced to pick up the tab again. Bagairt shuntasach ar phostanna agus ar ár ngeilleagar atá i mbagairt na dtaraifí ó na Stáit Aontaithe. Dhéanfadh taraifí mar fhreagra ón Aontas Eorpach rudaí níos measa. Stuaim a theastaíonn uainn agus géarthuiscint ón Rialtas faoi leasa na hÉireann a chosaint. The challenge of US tariffs and a potential trade war is real and present. What is the Government's strategy to ensure that Irish jobs and Ireland's economy are protected?”
“They have failed to invest in the areas key to building Ireland's long-term competitiveness and attractiveness. The scenario we now face shows that this must change. We need ambitious investment in housing, our childcare system, infrastructure, research and development, and energy security. The threat of US tariffs cannot be used by the Government as another alibi for not dealing with these issues head-on. There is also a need to recognise the threat tariffs pose to all-Ireland trade. The Government has contacted counterparts in the North's Executive. It is important that these engagements are at the highest level and focus on protecting the all-Ireland economy. I am also of the view that a meeting should take place between the leaders of the parties here in the Oireachtas and that the Taoiseach should facilitate this.”
“Counter-tariffs are not in Ireland's interests. The ESRI has been clear that the Trump tariffs will be damaging and that automatic counter-tariffs from the EU would make things worse for Ireland. If we agree that Donald Trump's approach is reckless, we cannot mimic that approach and follow him down the road of damaging tariffs. The only value of EU counter-tariffs would be if they could de-escalate the situation and if we could be sure that they would force Donald Trump to withdraw his tariffs and avoid a trade war. We need a very sober assessment of counter-tariffs before they are considered or employed. This is a time for cool heads, a clear eye on what is important and a focus on the things we can control. Successive Governments have not put the basics in place to attract FDI without complex tax incentives.”
“Later this evening, the US President is expected to announce widespread tariffs on imports into the United States. While the severity and scope of these tariffs are yet unknown, it is clear that what is about to happen will present a significant economic challenge to Ireland. The hard reality is that our economy is particularly exposed. The United States is Ireland's largest export market, and there are real concerns about the impact on our pharmaceutical and tech sectors. As the European Union formulates its response, the chief responsibility of the Government is to stand up for Ireland's interests and to protect Irish jobs, Irish industry and the prosperity of our people to ensure that any action taken does not exacerbate potential damage. It is crucial, therefore, that there is no knee-jerk reaction from the EU.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that in order for the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil her obligations as set out under Standing Order 10, she must retain the confidence of both Government and Opposition members; and further notes that the Ceann Comhairle no longer retains the confidence of opposition TDs of this House.".”
“These deals preserve the status quo and ensure that workers and families are pushed to the back of the queue. This is the deal that the Ceann Comhairle moved heaven and earth to defend last Tuesday. It is the very deal that secured her position. The reality is that it was Michael Lowry who ensured she would become Ceann Comhairle. In her acceptance speech, an Teachta Murphy openly acknowledged Michael Lowry's efforts, identifying him as the person who first approached her to seek the office of Ceann Comhairle. Despite deep reservations, she was given a fair wind when she assumed that office, but last Tuesday our worst fears were realised. She became the Government's Ceann Comhairle. Michael Lowry gave two fingers to the Irish people; we will not accept the Ceann Comhairle doing the same.”
“The Taoiseach has claimed that the Dáil will never be the same again. I agree, but that is not because the Opposition is standing our ground. It is because of his underhanded manoeuvres to rig the Dáil and stack the Opposition in his favour. That is the threat faced here, which certainly has some resonance with events elsewhere in the world. If people ever wonder why Governments come and go but nothing really improves for working people, they have their answer here in a nutshell. The insider deals and the cosy club are the reason so many people cannot afford a roof over their heads, our hospitals are overcrowded and overwhelmed, children with special needs are locked out of services and education, and families struggle to make ends meet.”
“Just as Micheál Martin spent his first term as Taoiseach throwing Fianna Fáil Ministers under the bus to protect his deal with Fine Gael, in his second term he now throws Fianna Fáil backbenchers under the bus to protect his grubby deal with Michael Lowry.”
“-----or Simon Harris, for that matter? What debt is owed to him that the Taoiseach is willing to tear down the integrity of the Dáil just to keep him sweet? We know that providing him with access to the main platform where the Opposition holds Government to account was part of this grubby deal. Tomorrow, the Government plans the ludicrous spectacle of Lowry group of TDs standing up after Leaders' Questions to question the Government that they support and they designed and delivered. Of course, Micheál Martin was adamant that this was about ensuring fair speaking time for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael backbenchers. That bubble has truly burst. This is not about backbenchers. It never was. This is about Michael Lowry. The reality is the Lowry group of TDs get four times more speaking time than Fianna Fáil backbenchers.”
“It is a grubby deal that has been prioritised by this Government over the formation of Oireachtas committees, over the imperative to debate and pass laws, and over the need to address big issues affecting workers and families. All of this might again beg the question; what does Michael Lowry have over Micheál Martin-----”
“There were also a raft of junior Ministers with big pay hikes, more super junior Ministers and, of course, the prized position of Ceann Comhairle to boot. Nobody with any respect for the position of Ceann Comhairle would ever have been party to such a disgraceful arrangement. A deal was struck by Micheál Martin and Simon Harris with Michael Lowry, a man whose actions the Moriarty tribunal found to be "profoundly corrupt to a degree that was nothing short of breathtaking". The Taoiseach once described him as a rogue politician and called on him to resign his seat, but he is now the kingmaker of this coalition. It is a grubby deal that places Michael Lowry's demands above even the democracy of the Dáil and the proper functioning of Parliament.”
“I think we achieved a fantastic result for our group, in that we had a Ceann Comhairle, two Super Junior Ministers, and two Junior Ministers. There you have it, direct from the horse's mouth. The grubby deal.”
“He said: I felt it was a good political move to make to put forward Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle, and that was really an important and decisive moment because I felt that once she was elected as Ceann Comhairle, and there had to be a lot of political manoeuvring to make that happen but once she was elected as Ceann Comhairle, then that put our regional group in the driving seat for discussions on the formation of a Government. He went on to say: I've been working, first of all to get Verona Murphy elected [as Ceann Comhairle], and then to prepare our group's policy position and policy platform in readiness for negotiations, and then we started negotiations, I was the lead negotiator with relation to that.”
“They designated themselves as Government TDs by their own actions. The dogs on the street know that they are in the Government camp. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste sought to orchestrate a delusion that they were members of the Opposition. We have said many times - I will say it again - that you simply cannot be in government and in opposition at the same time. However, this is the very farce that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to ram through to protect their grubby deal with Michael Lowry. What is in this deal? The Taoiseach and Tánaiste have been very coy on this point, so we have to rely on Deputy Lowry himself to tell us, in his own words. This is what he had to say in an interview with Tipperary Live in January. He makes it clear that putting Verona Murphy in as Ceann Comhairle was key to the deal.”
“Tá an Ceann Comhairle tar éis a léiriú lena gníomh nach bhfuil sí cothrom, neamhchlaonta nó neamhspleách. An tseachtain seo caite, chuir sí rialacha daonlathacha na Dála faoina cosa chun plean an Rialtais a chur i gcrích chun an socrú suarach leis an Teachta Lowry a chosaint. Tá praiseach déanta aici de mhuinín an Fhreasúra go léir. Caithfidh sí imeacht. Cui bono ? Who benefits? It must be remembered that all of this is rooted in the grubby deal struck between Micheál Martin, Simon Harris and Michael Lowry, a deal in which Deputy Lowry led and marshalled a group of so-called Independent TDs into the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael camp to form a Government. The Lowry group of TDs negotiated, helped to write and agreed the programme for Government. Four of their number assumed ministerial office.”
“You cannot be a fair, impartial, independent chairperson of the Dáil, having thrown out the democratic rule book to force through whatever Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want. If you cast aside the need for balance and the rights of the Opposition and our mandates, to do the bidding of Government, we in opposition would be doing the people of Ireland a grave disservice were we to lie down and accept such a farce. The actions of the Ceann Comhairle have been neither impartial nor independent; quite the opposite. The credibility of the Ceann Comhairle lies in tatters. She has lost the confidence of the Opposition. For the Ceann Comhairle to fulfil their duties, they must enjoy the confidence of both the Government and the Opposition. An Teachta Murphy does not and must go.”
“The failures of the Ceann Comhairle last week raised questions about the legitimacy and legal standing of the business conducted in the Dáil because the rules of the House have not been legitimately changed. Therefore, the farce of Other Members' Questions, scheduled to commence tomorrow, has no standing. The credibility of the Dáil and the democratic underpinnings of this Parliament have been undermined by the actions of the Ceann Comhairle at the behest of the Government. To ignore this reality would make a mockery of our mandate and take the people for fools. The Ceann Comhairle's position is untenable. Surviving a vote on this motion will not change that fact. The role of Ceann Comhairle demands that whoever occupies the office be impartial, fair and independent.”
“In her eagerness to get the job done for Micheál Martin, Simon Harris and Michael Lowry, the Ceann Comhairle declared the Government motion to be passed - a motion on which there was no vote. That is astonishing. All of this was done to cheers of approval and a chorus of encouragement from the Government benches. The only holy show on display was the shameless co-ordination and co-operation between the Ceann Comhairle and the Government. It was brazen, arrogant and on display for all to see. All of this is very serious. Such behaviour was not seen in any previous Dáil. It is change for the worse and deeply destructive. It is a change designed and orchestrated by the Taoiseach and the Government.”
“The claim is clearly contradicted by the official Oireachtas video, which shows that at the resumption of business following a 30-minute suspension, there was no disruption in the Dáil. The Ceann Comhairle was simply hell-bent on rushing ahead to get the Government's plan over the line. Dáil business was dispensed with to achieve the Government's desired outcome. Third, the Ceann Comhairle failed to put the Government motion to change Dáil rules to a vote. Such was the haste to pass the Government motion, the Ceann Comhairle inadvertently moved the Opposition amendment only. At no point did she put the Government's substantive motion to a formal vote.”
“Last Tuesday, the Ceann Comhairle not only undermined that democratic understanding, she demolished it. In quick succession, she made three decisions exposing bias, doing things in her power and, frankly, outside of her power, to ram through the Government's objective of changing the rules of the Dáil to suit themselves. First, she failed to hold a vote to agree Dáil business when a vote was called. The call of "Vótáil" is clearly audible in the Oireachtas footage of proceedings, and a division should have been called as a result. However, the Ceann Comhairle ignored this call, dug in and proceeded to shut down the Opposition. Second, the Ceann Comhairle chose to cancel Questions on Policy or Legislation. The claim that this decision was made because of continued disruption in the Dáil is demonstrably not true.”
“However, the Dáil has always functioned through agreement by ensuring that Opposition views, objections or dissent to the content of Dáil business is respectfully given its rightful place. This is not a mere technicality. This is fundamental to how Opposition holds the Government to account for its priorities, legislative agenda and its failures and shortfalls in addressing public need. It is also, crucially, how we endeavour to ensure political balance so that the Dáil does not become a token platform for the Government to railroad through its agenda but rather a place where those elected by the people exercise our duty to keep those in power in check through fair, honest and open debate. It is how accountability is ensured and the interests of the people are protected.”
“She was acting as the Government's Ceann Comhairle, signed, sealed and delivered by Michael Lowry. What we witnessed was an unrivalled partisan display. The Ceann Comhairle forced through the Government agenda, showing blatant disrespect and contempt for the mandate of the combined Opposition. In forcing through the Government's plan, Verona Murphy took a wrecking ball to the long-established democratic procedures of the Dáil and ripped up the rule book that underpins its functioning. This marked a fundamental departure from established practice, making a mockery of the oath taken by the Ceann Comhairle on assuming office. Political clashes, robust debate and raised temperatures are all part and parcel of parliamentary politics. We are all used to such battles in this Chamber.”
“In an unprecedented, and frankly breathtaking display of bias, the person charged with safeguarding and preserving democracy in this House helped to tear it apart. The Ceann Comhairle actively and enthusiastically fulfilled the bidding and the aims of the Government, acting, not as the impartial Chair of the Dáil, but more like a loyal Minister under political instruction from the top.”
“This motion of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle is a response to a concerted and co-ordinated plan by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael; a plan to run roughshod over the democratic rules of the Dáil for their own political gain.”
“Can the Taoiseach tell us how many letters and how many children there are and how long was this scandal in the making? Was it, as we now suspect, not simply between 2021 and 2023? Does it go back as far as a decade?”
“It is important to acknowledge the trauma to any child undergoing a surgery but the very idea a child would be put through that unnecessarily is doubly traumatic. Parents are now faced with the scenario of not knowing. The audit may only be in draft form but the letters have been issued. They are arriving to families. This stress and distress is very real in the here and now and the Taoiseach's argument that we simply need to wait and wait will weigh very heavily on those families who want answers now. The Taoiseach says the HSE was made aware of these matters in May of last year. Can I ask when the Minister for Health was made aware? It seems to me an extraordinary thing that a year later parents are being told, and they are being told again to wait and wait.”
“I want to know how many children have been affected. Parents are angry that Children's Health Ireland will conduct the follow-up assessments because they have completely lost confidence in that organisation. Who could blame them? Children's Health Ireland is an organisation mired in scandal. The controversies pile up and the Government sits on the sidelines incapable of getting a handle on things. Tá na céadta tuismitheoir buartha gur chuireadh a bpáistí tríd obráidí tromchúiseacha gan ghá ag CHI. Ní mór don Rialtas na freagraí atá ag teastáil ó na dtuismitheoirí seo a fháil dóibh. The Government needs to get on top of this. What action has it taken to uncover the full extent of this scandal? For how long has it been going on? How many letters have been issued? How many children are affected?”
“Another mother states her daughter had the surgery in 2023, days before her third birthday. She wrote: I am heartbroken to think I put my little girl through so much pain if there was never any need for it. She had to be lifted and carried for over a week after the surgery. She was afraid to go to the toilet the night and day after surgery, she was in so much pain. We know of cases where parents sought a second opinion when their child was scheduled for surgery and, incredibly, were told that not alone did their child not need the operation but also that they did not in fact have hip dysplasia at all. Parents of children who had operations a decade ago are also receiving letters. There is now a genuine fear that these practices were going on long before 2021. I would like to know how many letters have been issued.”
“The parents were provided with an email address in those letters, but many are telling us that they are emailing and getting no response. They are also ringing but getting no answer. This is heaping stress on top of stress. One mother contacted us to say that she had received two letters because her twin daughters were three years of age when they had surgery in 2023. She stated: It took them months to recover, to learn to walk again, not to mention the agonising pain each of them were in and the sleepless nights crying in pain. We want to get to the bottom of how they could put vulnerable children through this. A second parent wrote: One of my daughters had both hips done and we have received a letter. I am sick with nerves at the outcome of this. Families deserve to know sooner rather than later.”
“Hundreds of parents are today living the nightmare of the prospect that their children were operated on unnecessarily. On foot of whistleblower allegations, an audit was carried out into paediatric hip dysplasia surgeries at three Children's Health Ireland hospitals. The audit, which has been published in full on The Ditch website, found that hundreds of children who were operated on between 2021 and 2023 did not meet the threshold for this surgery. It recommends that 561 children be recalled and independently assessed. This is very serious. We have received dozens of emails and phone calls from parents since my colleague an Teachta Pearse Doherty raised this scandal in the Dáil on Thursday last. Parents are at their wits' end having received letters from Children's Health Ireland to inform them of the audit.”
“The Government could also assure people that our water network will not be sold to private investors in the future by holding a referendum to keep water services in public ownership. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are not prepared to take these steps, then they need to keep one important thing in mind - our communities defeated water charges before and our communities will defeat water charges again. Sinn Féin will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people in opposing domestic water charges. We will fight tooth and nail any Government plan to charge households for water.”
“It was rather about a shared, deep-rooted value - that access to water is a human right and the right of every citizen in a decent society. Gheobhadh an reachtaíocht seo réidh le táillí uisce go deo. Má tá spéis ag Fianna Fáil nó Fine Gael a chur ina luí ar dhaoine nach bhfuil siad ag cur plean le chéile chun táillí uisce a thabhairt ar ais, ba chóir dóibh tacú leis an mBille. I have no doubt but that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are conniving a plan to reintroduce water charges. However, if the Government is adamant that it is not, and if it wishes to end the speculation, then it cannot simply talk the talk. It must walk the walk by backing this Bill to change the legislation to emphatically and categorically rule out the reimposition of water charges - to scrap them once and for all. That is how the Government will convince people.”
“This is also a Government that has failed abysmally to deliver the significant upgrades to our water infrastructure at pace, to modernise the pipe network to prevent widespread leakages and to deliver the water quality communities have every right to expect. It seems Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are prepared to gamble that public opposition to water charges was simply a flash in the pan. That is an arrogant and out-of-touch roll of the dice. I remember the anti-water charges campaign. It stands out in my mind for the energy, strength, togetherness, and the principled stand of the protesters. I remember the demonstrations that drew record numbers to the centre of Dublin. They came from every community, from all walks of life, and from every town and city. It was not a fleeting anger.”
“Members will recall how communities across the State rallied together at marches, demonstrations and protests to face down the water charges agenda. It was a powerful and uplifting expression of real people power. It led to the defeat of water charges and forced the Government of the day to scrap its plans. It seems that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael did not get the message and have not dropped the plan. It is clear that the wheels are in motion to give their water charges a fresh coat of paint and again dress it up as an environmental action. The evidence shows that water charges do not help conserve water and only increase water poverty.”