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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“Places such as Talbot Street, O'Connell Street, Mary Street and the quays were places of business, of busyness, of hustle and bustle and yet they have been allowed go to rack and ruin. Every community group I speak to, every youth group and youth diversion project all say the same thing: that people’s sense of safety is gone largely because of a lack of Garda visibility and presence, and that is because there are not enough front-line gardaí doing what they do best on the street, on the beat, in the community. The hard truth is that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have presided over devastating cuts to community garda numbers. For example, in the Dublin north central area the community had 139 community gardaí in 2014. By the end of last year, that was down to just 82. That represents a cut of 40%.”
“The right to feel safe in your home, in your community and on the streets is precious. As a TD for Dublin Central, I represent communities who could write volumes on how that right has been systematically taken away from them. It is shameful that families who live in strong, resilient and vibrant communities, people who work in the centre of Dublin and those who visit our capital city are so often met with a climate of fear and a sense of constantly looking over their shoulder, one which has developed because of criminal gangs who prey on communities but also because of open drug dealing, drug taking, on-street nuisance drinking and threatening antisocial behaviour. This sense of danger has grown, and in core areas of Dublin city centre, the neglect has been spectacular.”
“I hope and pray that a workable peace process is achievable in the near future and that we will not be back here to mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion, but that will require everyone with political influence and power stepping up to the mark and reaching for peace and justice. Ireland supports Ukraine in joining the EU, if that is the will of its people, and we will work to help secure a future of stability and prosperity. We must continue to choose to be a voice against war, militarisation, colonisation and the destructive mantra that might is right. We must continue to be a voice for peace, diplomacy, dialogue and international law. These, in the end, are the very values that guide our solidarity with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.”
“Le trí bliana anuas tá muintir na hÚcráine tar éis an fód a sheasamh go cróga i gcoinne ionradh brúidiúil na Rúise ar a dtír. Tá gá arís le meas don dlí idirnáisiúnta agus do cheart na hÚcráine flaitheas, féinchinntiúchán agus saoire a bheith aici. Ní féidir ligean don Rúis tairbhe a shaothrú óna ionsaí bagrach míleatach. Caithfidh an tsíocháin a bheith i réim. The people of Ukraine have spent three long years resisting Russia's brutal invasion of their homeland. They have not given up on the dream of a future of peace, freedom and self-determination. Ireland will stand with Ukraine until that dream is realised.”
“If the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach are so confident that dismantling our neutrality commands public support and if they are determined to proceed, I ask them to put that plan to the people by way of a referendum and let them decide.”
“Moves by the Government to undermine our neutrality, developed over a century of diplomacy, are incredibly short-sighted and would have long-lasting repercussions. I am very alarmed by reports that the Tánaiste is ready to bring to Cabinet legislation aimed at discarding Ireland's triple-lock neutrality protection. Such a move would breach multiple commitments given to the Irish people, particularly during the EU referendums on the Nice and Lisbon treaties. It also constitutes a fundamental and very negative shift in Irish foreign policy. Sinn Féin will oppose all attempts by the Government to dismantle our neutrality. We will stand up and defend it every step of the way. Let me say this.”
“-----because of our status of being military unaligned and our long-standing tradition of neutrality. Ireland's neutrality is our strength. It is now about showing leadership on the world stage, finding solutions, de-escalating crises and contributing to peacekeeping. Ireland's principled refusal to embrace military might as a means of resolving the world's problems is respected. Neutrality is part of who we are as a people, a cherished and shared value of the nation and one which retains, as we know, overwhelming support. There is no public appetite to change the current position on neutrality. It has allowed Ireland to stand as a champion of peace, equality, democracy and international law.”
“This is coupled with a growing push from the European Commission to undermine the independent foreign policies of member states. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is constantly being cited as a reason the European Union must militarise, increase spending on weaponry and arms and force a singular defence policy. This is flawed and dangerous thinking. It leads the European Union down the cul-de-sac of militarism and inevitable war. We must work to ensure that the European Union remains, at its core, a partnership for peace. Militarisation and a loss of control of foreign policy is not a way forward. Rather, it sets Europe on a course that repeats the tragic mistakes of the past. Sadly, it is now clear that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have bought into this dangerous agenda and now seek to dismantle Ireland's neutrality.”
“Any successful peace process must see a restoration of respect for international law, the upholding of Ukraine's right to sovereignty, self-determination and freedom and the right of Ukraine to live as a free nation. Russia's military aggression cannot be rewarded. Peace must prevail. European Union support for Ukraine has undoubtedly shown Europe at its best. It is a stance rooted in the value and principles of international solidarity, democracy, self-determination and human rights. This, sadly, has not been the case when it comes to the Israeli onslaught on Gaza and the genocide against the Palestinian people. In international relations and law, just as in life, consistency matters. Both these conflicts unfold at a time when the hawkish agenda at the European Union is escalating a drive towards even greater militarisation.”
“They continued to show the world that they will never give in to Russia's terrible military aggression and Ireland has stood with them, standing on the side of international law towards the day that Ukraine's right to live as a free nation is restored. The focus of the international community must now be on achieving peace and building a pathway to peace through genuine engagement, constructive dialogue and an inclusive talks process. That, of course, means that Ukraine must have a seat at the table. The very idea that you can build a successful peace while sidelining the invaded nation runs contrary to the most basic of common sense.”
“Cuirim fáilte ó chroí roimh Larysa Gerasko. The ambassador is very welcome. Today, we think first and foremost of the people of Ukraine. Three years ago, Russia launched a brutal criminal invasion of Ukraine. Putin's invasion continues to be an attack on Ukraine's right to self-determination, sovereignty and peace. It is also a violation of international law. We have witnessed the largest land conflict and the greatest displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War. The human cost of Russia's military aggression has been paid, first and foremost, in a terrible loss of life. The United Nations estimates that 12,654 civilians have been killed, including 669 children. For three long years, the people of Ukraine have bravely resisted and withstood Putin's bombardment of their beloved country.”
“We would do nothing else if we were to do that. I am concerned that the Taoiseach is not recognising the problem or his part in it. The Taoiseach is not a commentator; he has been in government for a very considerable period.”
“I am putting the question to the Taoiseach, with respect, not to the Chief Whip. I asked that the Taoiseach make an intervention, and I would appreciate it if he did that. The problem is that we cannot bring all 7,000 stories of all of those children waiting for more than a year, or the 1,100 who have been waiting four years.”
“I am glad the Taoiseach agrees with me that this situation is entirely unacceptable, that children are left without access to urgent dental care. I also welcome the fact that the Taoiseach will, as I understand it, make a direct intervention in respect of Tiernan, because a solution needs to be-----”
“A proper solution needs to be put in place so that all these children, like Tiernan, get access to timely, specialised care. The Government needs to get to grips with the wider issue of children waiting for dental treatment. Caithfidh an Rialtas gníomh práinneach a ghlacadh maidir le leanaí atá ag fanacht is ag fanacht ar chúram agus cóir riachtanach fiaclóra. What will the Government do to address all of this? We do not have the number of dentists and dental surgeons we need. There are just 23 HSE consultants and just 250 public-only dentists. That is 25% fewer than in 2006. What action will the Government take to deal with this crisis? What action will the Taoiseach take in relation to Tiernan Power Murphy?”
“He is just one of thousands of children being failed by the State on dental and orthodontic waiting lists. That is thousands of children waiting for dental surgery or even to get an appointment. A mockery is being made of Sláintecare waiting targets and in the most severe cases there are more than 7,000 children waiting for more than a year for treatment that they need so badly. There are 1,100 children waiting more than four years. These children are on orthodontic lists for jaw disorders and serious teeth problems. It is very clear that pediatric dentistry is in real crisis. It is not serving children and young people generally. However, the problem is even worse when it comes to a child or a young person with special needs.”
“This news was broken to them by a public dentist. Tiernan lives in such daily agony that he can barely chew food or sleep. His father Éamon has described the effect of all this on his little boy. He says: He is usually the best in the world, usually the happiest fellow. Now to see him like this, not eating properly, afraid to eat because it hurts to chew, screaming and throwing himself to the ground, hitting himself, it is horrible for him. No child should be left in such a terrible, traumatic situation. No parent should have to watch their child endure this agony. My colleague, Teachta David Cullinane, has contacted the HSE on Tiernan's case. A solution needs to be found for this child and it needs to be found quickly. However, Tiernan is not alone; far from it.”
“Parents of children with special needs are constantly coming up against brick walls while trying to access essential services for their children. The scandal of children with scoliosis and spina bifida, left in pain while waiting for their operations, has been one of this Government's most damning failures. The heartbreaking stories of people being left behind often involve excruciating waits for assessment of needs, being forced to enter lotteries to draw a secure, suitable school place and being denied basic medical care. I raise the case of six-year-old Tiernan Power Murphy from County Waterford. Tiernan is autistic. He has been living in severe pain since last October. He needs three teeth removed. Tiernan's parents have been told that their little boy could be waiting up to ten years for this procedure.”
“I urge him to change direction, to recommit to that and I give him the assurance that Sinn Féin and, I believe the entire Opposition, will work with him co-operatively in that regard.”
“Will he also agree with me that the answer in the Middle East is dialogue, engagement, respect for international law and that we cannot countenance or tolerate any player, the United States or any other, going it alone and flying in the face of that? Will the Taoiseach also join with me in calling on the United States to cease and desist from arming the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian people? Our European colleagues and our British friends might also follow suit. Finally, on the occupied territories Bill, I put on record our collective disappointment that the Taoiseach has stepped away from what was a very clear-cut commitment to put that law on the Statute Book.”
“I raise with the Taoiseach the remarks made by the US President - or I should say the threat made by the US President - in respect of the Gaza Strip, in which he openly countenanced the mass expulsion of the Palestinian population and the annexation and seizure of those lands and their development, he seemed to suggest, into some form of Riviera. I would like the Taoiseach to agree with me that any such threat runs directly against the protections of international law and humanitarian law for a refugee population. I would like him to agree with me that the Palestinian people have suffered enough. Their dispossession is now decades - generations - long. Generations have grown up and have known nothing other than refugee camps.”
“Access to general practitioners is under pressure right across the State but particularly in some areas of very grave disadvantage, one of which is Summerhill in Dublin 1. For the past eight years the Summerhill Family Practice operated by the charity GP Care For All, has provided 2,632 people with GP services in the north inner city. That service is under threat because of Revenue rules. This matter has been brought to the attention of the Ministers for Finance, public expenditure and reform, and Health. There has to be an urgent intervention here or we will lose this service in an area where it was impossible to get general practice to operate. This has been the solution and it is imperative that the service is protected. I ask the Taoiseach to act on this matter.”
“However, the Government opposed the motion and made amendments to dilute that very reasonable demand. Why is it that the Government refuses to guarantee a suitable school place for every child next September?”
“The parents of children with special needs face a constant battle to find school places for their children. The idea that any child is forced into a lottery for the chance of getting a school place is unthinkable, and yet it is happening. The child's future is down to the luck of the draw. The child whose number does not come up is left behind. The mother of Jay Meehan from Waterford is quoted today in the media as saying it is like playing the EuroMillions for her child's future. Parents are frustrated, exhausted and heartbroken. They are receiving rejection letter after rejection letter. Last week, we tabled a motion calling on the Government to ensure that every child will have access to a school place in September within a reasonable distance of their home.”
“The ultimate check and balance in the Oireachtas is, of course, that the Opposition holds the Government to account. Central to this are slots for Leaders Questions and Priority Questions that are the Opposition's opportunity to hold the Taoiseach and his Government to account, yet they persist in holding that logic on its head, the most basic premise upon which we carry out our democratic business. They gave us their word that the Government would withdraw its proposals to placate Deputy Michael Lowry and his colleagues as part of its grubby government deal. They gave us their word and it seems they have gone back on it. They have come forward again with proposals that still seek to insist that Government Deputies would be in Opposition slots.”
“I resisted in my opening remarks citing the children's hospital, but I now feel moved to do so as it is the example of the type of incompetence and waste we have seen writ large. It all has its foundations in a Government culture of utter disregard for public money, which is reflected in the response the Taoiseach gave. He said that all of this is incomprehensible, not acceptable and not good enough and then that someone else has to answer for it. I value the National Gallery and it has to do its job and give its account, but the Deputy is the Taoiseach.”
“Let us do that then, will we? If the Taoiseach is citing Fitzgibbon Street Garda station as an example of efficiency and delivery, I am afraid he has chosen a bad example. It took years and years to be delivered. I resisted-----”
“Níl sa scanóir €125,000 nár úsáideadh riamh ach caibidil eile i scéal fada an Rialtais faoi chur amú airgead an phobail. Ní féidir leanúint ar aghaidh mar seo agus tá cuntasacht ag teastáil. The Tánaiste, it seems, is furious. The Taoiseach appears to be bewildered by the whole thing, but the Government must give an explanation for the serial wastage of public money. Was this matter raised and discussed at Cabinet today? What does the Taoiseach propose to do about this latest episode of scandalous waste?”
“Where are the checks and balances and reporting within public procurement processes for which the Government is responsible? How is this allowed to happen time and again? The Government can feign anger, say this has nothing to do with it and blame the National Gallery. It can point the finger at anybody and everybody under the sun for the most expensive bike shed, security hut or perimeter wall, but let us be clear - the buck stops with the Government. It is in charge and it is the Government's responsibility to ensure that public money is spent wisely and properly and to take corrective action when it is not. Ordinary people see this for what it is. The Government either knows about the waste of public money and does nothing about it or it does not know at all and is grossly incompetent. Maybe it is a bit of both.”
“A Government culture of waste and incompetence is deep rooted. It has been going on for a very long time. We hear the infuriating example of taxpayers' money squandered with nothing done about it. It is a case of one revelation of waste after another. The public might well ask what is coming next and where does all this end? This week it is the scanner that has not been used. Add to that the €366,000 bike shed, the €1.4 million security hut, the €9 million for phone pouches and nearly half a million euro on a perimeter wall. The list of Government's scandalous waste of public money is as long as your arm, yet not a single person has been held to account. In this Government culture of waste and incompetence it seems nobody is responsible. Where is the proper Government oversight of how public money is spent?”
“Another day and another revelation of Government waste of public money. Over the weekend, it emerged that in 2017 the National Gallery of Ireland purchased a scanner at a cost to the taxpayer of nearly €125,000. The scanner has never been used because a suitable room could not be found to accommodate it. This equipment, which cost the people €125,000, has sat idle for eight years. This of course was not a once-off. The Taoiseach will recall that in 2018 the Government purchased a printer for the Oireachtas to the tune of €800,000. That printer lay idle for ten months because it could not fit into the building. Eventually, a further €230,000 of public money had to be spent on works to the building to get the equipment in. What are people to make of all this? Government waste of public money is not a recent phenomenon, far from it.”
“This hospital is now delayed five years and there still is no proper plan to open it. What will he do in respect of this staffing shortfall?”
“I wish to raise the issue of staffing levels at the children’s hospital. A serious letter has been written by all 12 surgeons at the department of paediatric surgery and urology at Children’s Health Ireland. I believe it has gone to the Minister for Health. In this letter, the surgeons outline bizarrely that the plans for opening the new children’s hospital will see it understaffed from day one. The surgeons believe that they have been ignored and that the recommended workforce of 17 paediatric surgeons has not been factored in. In their words, they believe that will impact negatively on the provision of safe and sustainable services. They go on to outline their concerns that this risk has not been properly assessed. I am sure the Taoiseach will agree that this is an unacceptable situation.”
“The Government has missed social and affordable housing targets every single year on the Taoiseach's watch and the typical home, as I told him, is €200,000 more expensive than it was over a decade ago.”
“I can only surmise that the Taoiseach wishes to deflect and comment on Sinn Féin's policies because he knows he has been caught out. He has been found out. He spoofed during the election campaign. He presented a work of fiction. It was fact flexibility from Fianna Fáil. What a novel thing - not. Now he is in the hot seat again and there is an expectation of delivery and he is showing no serious intent, much less any capacity, to actually deliver the affordable homes that working people require at scale, and no real interest in taming runaway rents - far from it. He is quite happy to listen to his lobbyist friends and all of his old party political mates who now find themselves in other places of influence.”
“This was, remember, public land on which the State should have and could have developed genuinely affordable homes, but instead the Government forced Dublin City Council to hand it over to a private developer and now we have these prices that are out of reach for the vast majority of working people. The Taoiseach has stated that "everything is on the table" when it comes to housing, but in reality this is code for not having a clue what to do next. His so-called new Government has no new ideas and no coherent plan. Tá plean tithíochta an Rialtais ina phraiseach; mar sin, tá an cur chuige trína chéile. Níl tuairim ná freagra nua ar bith ag an Rialtas seo atá in ainm is a bheith nua, mar dhea. This Government is all over the place on housing. The big question now is when it will get its act together.”
“However, to cast this up as the solution to the housing crisis simply highlights just how broken and how failed the Government's response to the housing crisis is. Tinkering around at the edges does not cut it. We need a serious change of direction in housing policy, one in which the housing needs of ordinary people are prioritised and where affordability is tackled head-on. In O'Devaney Gardens, now called Montpelier, here in Dublin, the largest Government so-called affordable housing scheme in the State, we read this morning that a two-bedroom apartment in the development can cost anything up to €402,000. That is not affordable. It is certainly not the cost we should be getting from a Government-subsidised housing scheme.”
“We still have rip-off rents and shocking levels of homelessness, and today a report reveals the extent to which international students are being pressurised for sex in return for rent-free housing, surely a new low. The Government proposes to end the rent pressure zones and proposes to reintroduce tax breaks for developers but it gives nothing on how the Government will deliver homes that working people can actually afford to buy or rent. After all the high-level meetings, its big centrepiece idea, it seems, is to relax planning rules to allow people to build cabins in the bottom of their gardens. Now, greater flexibility is needed in this, and we will work with the Minister to get the regulations in place.”
“"Housing delivery is the number one priority for this Government." That is the opening line of the statement issued by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste following the first meeting of the Cabinet committee on housing. From this meeting, they had promised a slate of new and dynamic ideas, they said, to tackle the housing crisis, but that has not materialised. In fact, they have brought nothing new at all. The truth is that the Government's housing plan is in freefall after its figure of 40,000 new homes for 2024 was discovered to be a work of fiction. Now the Government has this scattered, frantic, directionless approach where it is talking about everything but dealing with nothing. Just to remind the Taoiseach, we still have sky-high house prices - the CSO tells us €200,000 more expensive now than a decade ago.”
“I would be very curious to know the timeline for that, the funding that will be put aside for it and, as Deputy Bacik has said, the recruitment plan for that. A significant portion of the entire transient and homeless population of the State is resident in Dublin 1. It is a quilt of hostels and emergency services for some of the most broken citizens in our State. It has become a dumping ground. I am loath to use this term because we are all human beings and worthy of respect and support, but I want to register in the clearest possible terms the feelings of the inner city communities that they have been left behind and put upon. For those reasons, this strategy had better work.”
“If take Moore Street as an emblem and an example of the interest of the State and successive governments in the regeneration of Dublin's north inner city, I can tell the House that it tells a very depressing tale. It tells a tale not just of indifference to those families and communities in the here and now, but also of utter and gross disrespect for the history and the historic nature of the Moore Street quarter. I very much welcome the fact that the GPO will be put to good use and that a cultural hub and quarter will be developed around it. This should extend to Moore Street and the lanes of history. Do I hold out much hope of this Government actually investing in that? Quite frankly, no. I welcome the proposal for 1,000 extra gardaí.”
“The Taoiseach was very evasive on the issue of tax reliefs for private developers when he was asked repeatedly here today. Can he be clearer? Can he give the clarity that was given by the Minister, James Browne, that, in fact, those reliefs are being considered? Will the Taoiseach also clarify for me the €450 million that arose from a memo that went to the Cabinet committee on housing? The Government is talking about 3,000 extra homes. That money is to be spread over three years. Will the Taoiseach confirm that those 3,000 houses are not in fact additional homes but are captured within existing targets? I am asking for clarity because this Government came to office on the basis of a lack of clarity and misleading information given to the electorate on the number of homes that had been built.”
“I know it is at the discretion of the judge but if the guidelines are clearly failing, if they are inadequate, and where you have serial offenders out on bail offending again, surely to God Government needs to take a stand on that.”
“Aontaím leis an Taoiseach gur olc an scéal é gan dabht. Cén plean atá ag an Rialtas? Tá sé soiléir nach bhfuil an plean ceart aige. Dithering in the face of all this is not a sufficient response from the Government. I could write a lengthy thesis on the underlying causes of crime - the poverty, the lack of investment and the lack of opportunity. We could all do that but we are facing a situation now where in Dublin in particular, but also elsewhere, people simply do not feel safe. The Taoiseach says there is zero tolerance of knife crime. Tell that to people on the street. The fact is knife crime and the carrying of knives is now endemic. What is the Taoiseach and the Government going to do about this? We cannot afford a laissez-faire approach in respect of the granting of bail.”
“Ní mór don Rialtas plean a leagan amach chun Baile Átha Cliath a dhéanamh níos sábháilte do gach duine a bhfuil cónaí orthu sa chathair, a bhíonn ag obair anseo nó a thagann ar cuairt. We need more gardaí on our streets and more investment in community, youth services, youth diversion programmes, rehabilitation and in our probation services. We need to reform our bail laws urgently. We need a response to knife crime and the carrying of knives, which is now endemic. The price of Government failure in all of these areas has been high, too high for too many. What is the Government's response to this lack of safety? What will be done to make Dublin, in particular, safe again?”
“People are also asking how individuals who have been involved with serious crime in other countries are able to be here in Ireland. There is a real sense that public safety and the right of every person to go about their lives without fear have been undermined by neglect and the failure of Government to respond to the reality on the ground. Knife crime and the carrying of knives now present a clear and present danger to the public. While the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, has stated that parts of Dublin are unsafe, he has failed to specify which parts. The reality is that we have had years of failure and of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil policies on crime prevention, community safety and rehabilitation.”
“Then on Saturday a man was fatally stabbed on South Anne Street in the aftermath of a public order incident. Adding to public concern is that those arrested for these attacks had been on bail for other serious offences. The man arrested for the attacks in Stoneybatter was facing charges in relation to a drug seizure, while two of the men arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing on Saturday have been on bail for other serious offences. This is not the first time this issue has arisen. I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of a number of high-profile, serious cases where the perpetrators had been on bail for other offences. People are now asking why it is that so many serious crimes are being committed by people who have been released on bail. They are asking whether our bail laws are adequate and properly enforced.”
“Dublin city centre is no longer safe. That is a statement of reality. People who live, work and visit our capital city have been robbed of their sense of safety and this has been the case for some time. Ask anyone who walks through the city centre and they will tell you they do so either with their heads down or looking over their shoulder. Those who live in the inner city could write the book on just how unsafe our streets have become. The everyday climate of danger has taken root, not least because of the lack of Garda presence on the ground. Over the past two weeks, we have had serious incidents that have added to people's feeling of danger and fear. The horrific knife attacks in Stoneybatter last Sunday week in which three people were injured left the community reeling.”
“This is the worst type of gravy train politics and the Taoiseach needs to bring it to a halt or, at a minimum, allow for a full debate in the House without a guillotine.”
“Today, the Taoiseach will ram through his legislation for the highest number of super junior and junior Ministers in the history of the State. I refer to the jobs-for-the-boys-and-girls Bill that will give rise to bumper top-ups in salaries and expenses for all involved, including a pay hike of €45,000, additional expenses of €32,000 and salaries of €200,000 for super junior Ministers. The divvying up of this power is, of course, part of the grubby deal the Government struck with Deputy Michael Lowry. I do not think anyone who came out to vote last November believed that what this country needs is a record number of junior and super junior Ministers; far from it. To make matters worse, the Government is guillotining the debate. It does not want the space for Opposition to call it out on this.”