Michael Collins
Cork South-West · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“This matter has been raised twice already this morning, but it is hugely important. I will make a personal appeal to the Taoiseach regarding Skyclarys and the further delay that has now arisen. Yesterday, Emma O'Shea came to Leinster House from west Cork with her mother, father and brother.”
“Another huge problem which normally arises in August is that relating to school buses. Parents have no way to get their children to school because of the nearest school rule. The current and previous programmes for Government contain promises that this will be done away with, but nothing has happened. The rule needs to be abolished.”
“Every parent knows that September has become one of the most expensive months of the year. While free schoolbooks are welcome, many families now face growing costs for other items. Parents are being asked to purchase laptops that cost €400 or more, make increased payments for school transport and pay charges to cover examination fees.”
“Either 25 children are left without a school place this September, or two senior infants classes are merged into one class of 34 children. Does the Minister of State agree that schools should not be punished for helping to solve an enrolment crisis? Will he immediately sanction the additional teaching posts required for St.”
“Education should not be measured by means of the distance someone lives from school, and school transport should not be measured on that basis either. I want to raise a matter that Councillor Bill Clear brought to my attention. It is a very serious issue regarding St. Corban’s National School in Naas in County Kildare.”
“I was chairperson of a board of management and know the difficulties that schools face just because they are one or two children short. That can be made up as the year goes on but it is a crisis that Councillor Clear finds unacceptable.”
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“The third area of non-compliance relates to the recent "RTÉ Investigates" documentary titled "Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes", which has uncovered serious concerns about the standards of care in several residential facilities run by Emeis Ireland, the country's largest provider of private nursing homes. The documentary, which aired on 4 June 2025, revealed issues such as staff shortages, unsafe care practices and undignified treatment of residents. The investigation involved undercover researchers who documented multiple instances of neglect and poor care, including residents being left unsupervised, improper manual handling and inadequate responses to residents' needs. Nursing homes in Ireland are regulated primarily by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA.”
“On foot of that, I attended a meeting with the Central Bank and some of the people affected who have had their lives destroyed because of these financial advisers. I was informed at that meeting with the Central Bank that yes, the Central Bank regulates financial advisers but these financial advisers can sell unregulated products. The website of the Central Bank states that, as the regulator of financial service providers and markets in Ireland, the bank has to ensure that the best interests of consumers are protected. Where is the protection for those whom I know of who have lost over €200 million by the Central Bank?”
“These parents have faced significant challenges from the previous Government, the Dental Council and the former Minister for Health, with no solutions or support available. The Dental Council of Ireland is supposed to investigate the fitness of registered dentists to practise based on allegations of professional misconduct or unfitness due to physical or mental disability. According to the parents of these children, however, the Dental Council has done absolutely nothing to help them. These parents and children have been left over €2 million out of pocket, and children have been left with denture neglect at a very delicate age in their lives. As regards another area of non-accountability, I recently raised twice in the Dáil with the Taoiseach during Leaders' Questions the scam that is going on with certain financial advisers.”
“This country is crying out for accountability from regulatory bodies as we stumble from one scandal to another. Last week, I attended a public meeting in Oranmore, Galway, with Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice and Councillor Declan Kelly and met with parents whose children had been scammed by a local orthodontist and neglected by the Dental Council of Ireland. These parents paid large sums upfront in 2022 for their children's dental treatment only to find out they were being deceived. Some children were left with misaligned jaws, others with braces but no treatment plan, and some had to remove their braces themselves or with the help of others over the phone. One girl had a wire sticking into her mouth which her boyfriend eventually cut with clippers.”
“This will support Ireland's leadership in fields like big data and medical technology, sectors in which we are already strong and where our SMEs can drive on. I understand that membership comes at a cost and I hope that the money involved will be carefully accounted for. Let me be crystal clear: Independent Ireland would not sign up to this unless we believed it will deliver clear value for the Irish taxpayer. We ask that there be a full cost-benefit review after three years before any application for full membership is made. I hope there will be strict monitoring to ensure this does not evolve into another gold-plated club for a few academics while the country foots the bill. We will also insist that Ireland's sovereignty and neutrality remain untouched. CERN is a science body, not a military or EU army project.”
“On that basis, this membership, if properly managed and tightly monitored, has the potential to deliver for Ireland. Let us look at the facts. CERN is not a political project; it is a science organisation where some of the world's finest minds come together to work on fundamental science and practical innovation. From the Internet, to MRI machines and modern cancer treatments, CERN's work has had real benefits for ordinary people. Ireland is one of only a few European countries not formally linked with CERN, which leaves our young people, researchers and businesses locked out of world-class opportunities. As an associate member we can give Irish students and graduates access to training and internships at CERN and enable Irish firms, including small and medium-sized businesses, to bid for contracts at CERN which are worth millions.”
“I support the motion for Ireland to become an associate member of CERN, the European organisation for nuclear research. I do so on behalf of Independent Ireland with a clear sense of what this should mean for the Irish people. Let me be straight. My party is no cheerleader for big, wasteful public spending or for projects that line the pockets of consultants while ordinary people get no benefits. Neither are we in the business of signing up to European groupthink or handing away our neutrality, which we value dearly. What we are in favour of is common sense, value for money and supporting our own young people. We believe in giving our young people opportunities, giving Irish businesses a fair crack of the whip and backing innovation that can help Ireland to thrive.”
“This raises serious ethical concerns. They are talking out of both sides of their mouths. I call into question their maturity and ability, before advocating for the high ethical standards in their motion.”
“If we do not end the Central Bank's facilitation of Israeli bonds, we are no better than those who profited from shipping produce out of Ireland while people starved. If our history means anything, we must act to alleviate famine wherever we find it. We see every day the images from this war and the starvation of the very young and the very old. It is time this stops. Food is a basic human need and if we can help, we must. The Government must end the Central Bank's role in the facilitation of these bonds. There is clear and independent Oireachtas legal advice that the State has authority to do this. It is quite ironic that the Social Democrats are presenting this motion given the recent controversy involving one of their TDs and his sale of shares in Palantir technologies, a company that supplies technology to the Israeli military.”
“We will be supporting this motion to end the Central Bank of Ireland's facilitation of Israeli bonds. As a representative of the people of west Cork, which was profoundly impacted by the Great Famine, I have a personal connection to the suffering of the Gazans today. I repeat myself when I say we are here to protect life and dignity without taking sides. Ireland is trusted because we do not serve geopolitical interests. Starvation as a weapon is a breach of international law. The deliberate denial of food and aid is collective punishment. It is a war crime. We know from our history during the Great Famine and from the oppression visited on us, the Irish, by others that there is a devastating impact from such actions. The Irish Government has a legal and moral duty to act to avoid complicity in Israel's genocide.”
“In God's earthly name, what has gone wrong with this country? It is at a complete standstill. The Government needs to stand up and call a housing emergency. It should listen to Independent Ireland for once. That is what we are asking. It will be embarrassing to take the hit for a couple of weeks and people will roar and shout, but we will get things done if that happens.”
“Surely, they should not be asked those kinds of silly questions. The whole point is that infrastructure is at a standstill in most parts of this country. In my constituency of Cork South-West, you cannot build a house in Dunmanway. I am bored of saying that in this Chamber. Imagine that in a town as big as Dunmanway. It has a great opportunity because of its close proximity to Cork city and towns such as Clonakilty. Dunmanway feeds into Clonakilty, Bandon, Bantry and Skibbereen. You cannot build one house in the town and there is no possibility of building there for the next five or six years. The same is true in Shannonvale in Clonakilty, where raw sewage is pouring into the sea and nobody cares. The same is true in Rosscarbery. Nobody gives a damn. Ballydehob and Goleen have been waiting for a sewerage system for 25 years.”
“Some people leave the houses in meticulous condition but at the same time, there is a hold-up in bringing it back into the system again. I have many clinics over weekends and through those, I find creeping into society again is that the powers that be, the planners, are blocking people from getting farm sheds. I know we are talking about building houses but farm sheds are important for young people who are trying to find a way to belong on their farms. They are being asked what they need a shed for. Nobody wants to build a farm shed unless they need it. I cannot understand how a planner can ask such people to prove they need a shed by asking how many cattle they have. Nobody is going to put themselves to an expense of €30,000, €40,000 or €100,000 only that there is a need for it on their farm.”
“I would appreciate it if something were announced today and dealt with in a week or two rather than dragging on down the road. That legislation could have been put in place. We were advising it should be introduced years ago but nobody would listen to us. We must consider the building of houses in cities. We are building out but what about building up? When I am in Dublin and places such as that, I meet people who say they are well able to do that but are being blocked from going forward. The turnover of council houses is an issue in Cork and elsewhere in this country. There is a problem with the speed of turnover of houses. We meet many people who would love a home, would do it up and look after it themselves.”
“The Government needs to stand up to them because they are bullies but it has accepted that and laid down before them. They have destroyed our country. Developments have been blocked. The sewerage infrastructure that is needed in local towns and villages has been blocked because people who do not live in the area have decided to object to it. The Government has not stood up to them. That is true of one-off planning applications in rural communities. We need to make changes. At the time of the formation of the Government, there was talk that log cabins would be allowed. Why are we not moving somewhere in that regard?”
“Everybody is pointing the finger but nothing is getting done. We would prioritise housing projects that have been stuck in limbo. If the declaration of a housing emergency dealt with that alone, we would start making moves to provide homes for people. Our biggest trouble in this country is that we have objectors who object to planning permission applications for major developments and one-off developments. They object to sewage treatment plants. In the name of God, the Government has no understanding of how to deal with these people. It has left them to take control of the country. A small handful of individuals have held this country to ransom. The Government should be looking at these serial objectors. Some people have a legitimate cause to object but most are serial objectors. They need to be severely fined.”
“This Government has been saying - as did the previous one and the previous two before that - that housing is its number one priority. If so, I cannot understand why it did not take up Independent Ireland's strong advice and policy that this should be declared a housing emergency. This is an emergency. A recent poll in the Irish Independent found 65% or 67% of people said housing is the biggest issue to be dealt with in this country, but it has not been dealt with. The declaration of a housing emergency would have dealt with a lot of areas that have been continuously not dealt with by the Government. It would have given us a chance to reform planning laws urgently, limit irrelevant and vexatious objections, fast-track water and sewerage infrastructure and basically stop the blame game.”
“Seventh, there is no information on the environmental impact assessment of the effect of dredging. Eighth, there is no sign of the terms and conditions of the licence, and so on. Simply put, this planning application, which will destroy marine, leisure and tourism activity in Kinsale, is flawed, and this flawed process is aided and abetted by the Department of agriculture. Will the Taoiseach urgently look into this matter with the Department of agriculture to stop this damaging plan going ahead in Kinsale until proper planning guidelines are adhered to?”
“On Sunday, in Kinsale, hundreds of people turned up in opposition to the granting of a 62-acre mussel farm licence, equivalent to 36 soccer pitches, off Kinsale Harbour. This was first proposed in 2019, when I raised concerns with the then Taoiseach and the relevant Minister. The new licence granted leaves many unanswered questions on the planning process for this specific licence. First, there was no transparency with regard to the licence awarded. Second, there was no public consultation for local concerns to be raised. Third, there was a lack of information on the risk assessment for Annex IV-protected species. Fourth, there was no social impact assessment. Fifth, no monitoring of the environmental impact assessment is evident. Sixth, there is no information regarding lorries taking away the mussels produced.”
“About two weeks ago, the Government announced plans to buy Citywest hotel. That is a huge concern to the constituents in the surrounding area. A debate has to happen in the House. Before the purchase of any hotel, a debate should happen in the House, regardless of what it is needed for. This is a huge issue and concern for the public.”
“While pearls of mussels are important, they are certainly being lost when rivers are overflowing and water is flowing down people's gardens. Birds are picking at them. I call for the rivers to be cleaned. That is the mighty starting point. It could be done by farmers, by means of a grant scheme, or voluntarily, as they did previously. Alternatively, it could be done by the OPW or some other body.”
“Beautiful roads are being washed away because rivers were not cleaned out and then burst their banks. If you run the bath at home and it is half full of sand, you know where the water is going to go. It is going to eventually flow over the side of the bath. This is the situation. I really want it addressed. I am not having a go at the Minister of State by any manner of means. He is a hard-working man who I respect. If we cannot have delivery on that end and if the blockages up along the line are preventing rivers from being cleaned, we are finished and will go nowhere. We will be back in here talking about the next flood, the other flood or the flood the time before. I would appreciate it if the Minister of State could look into this matter. The situation is serious.”
“Resolving issues means him working on this site to make sure rivers are cleaned, works are carried out and that matters relating funding are dealt with immediately. I do not want to be in a situation, nor does the Minister of State, where I have to come back down to Ballinascarty or stand outside the community centre in Ballyhennessy. There are so many good people there who work hard and who re willing. They are looking at water literally coming into their beautiful community centre, which they basically killed themselves to build, all the while knowing they are going to be facing this over and over again. It is the same with roads. The problem with rivers is why roads are being washed away. I saw the Kilbrittain Road to Bandon when I visited Ballinascarty during the flood there.”
“With regard to Ballinascarty and Councillor Daniel Sexton of Independent Ireland, the Minister of State has been notified of matters in that regard. I visited the village. Houses and businesses there were flooded. The first thing I did when I arrived was ask what was wrong. That is what the Minister of State will also have to ask. The river is blocked. I said at the time that we were back to square one . The rivers are the problem. While they may not be the problem everywhere, they are the cause of the problems in Fermoy and Midleton. There are all these places where rivers need to be cleaned out. The Minister of State was meant to visit Ballinascarty. I am not sure whether he is still going to do so. That is up to him. His visiting the village will not resolve the issue, however.”
“It might be outside of the Minister of State's area; I respect that if it is. It concerns cleaning out the river and bay. Clonakilty Bay is full of muck, silt and sewage. People saw it and took pictures. There are those who have to walk across this silt as they try to access small boats. It is like quicksand. Basically, it was stated that it cannot be cleaned up because of the environment. Someone will lose their life, or perhaps it will be two or three people, and then something will probably be done. That is not the way to do business, but, unfortunately, that is the way it is being done. It is being done the wrong way around. People are being completely forgotten and neglected in this area.”
“These 11 years can be brought down to three or four. Legislation needs to be brought before the Dáil to change that and it will have full support. Common sense is needed. We cannot listen to objectors when a person's livelihood or their home is gone because someone in Donegal is worried about what is going in Bantry. It is time to move ahead. It has gone on for 11 years. It is not acceptable to the people of this country. The system needs to be sped up. There are areas that cannot wait four years for scheme development and preliminary design. I could be here forever. That was my brother Danny Collins's argument to me this morning. That is what he is faced with in Ballylickey and Bantry. Councillor John Collins, my other brother, tabled a motion recently in relation to Ring in Clonakilty.”
“Every time it floods, probably once a year, I go down there but I am ashamed of my life to go down there, walking into the same destroyed businesses. There is no compensation package. It is kind of a con system - it is handing out forms and saying you cannot qualify, you qualified before, you have insurance or you do not have insurance. It is a pittance in comparison to the damage. Bantry is washed out every so often, culverts need to be done, Ministers come down and promise to make sure there is funding for culverts. If they promised every time they came down, every culvert in west Cork would have been sorted by now but nothing was sorted in Bantry. It is the same situation. I will be down there and the Minister will probably be down in the next 12 months visiting shops, promising businesses the Government will do something.”
“The river comes back out into the fields and into people's houses. The Government needs to wake up and deal with this matter with a sense of urgency. That is Ballylickey; I will move on to the flooding in Bantry. I looked at what the Minister read out earlier, he said "... scheme development and preliminary design, an average of 48 months ...". That is four years. That is codology; nonsense. It could be done in one or two years. We have to move with the times. That is 1960 stuff. He also said the planning process or public exhibition and confirmation takes two years, detailed design takes one year, construction takes three years and handover of works takes one year. That is about 11 years. People in Bantry have been waiting for 50, 60, or 70 years. People told me they were flooded 50, 60 or 70 years ago and they are still flooded today.”
“In terms of protecting the pearl mussel, the Government is the cause of finishing of the pearl mussel because it was blown into the fields and houses were within one inch of being washed out again. The Minister of State was there at the time. I showed him the house and the depth of the water that came into Dan Dineen's house and others. It is outrageous that so many years on, I still have not seen one bucket there. There was a situation where the local farmer cleaned out his river tidily and carefully once every ten years probably. It would not have to be done often. The powers that be need to clear the river either, but neither is happening now. Ballylickey is gone with silt. Silt is a posh name - it is muck. It has backed up and is flooding Kealkill because the river has built up. There will be no river soon.”
“The Government cannot expect concrete works around rivers. One example is Ballylickey. I took the Minister of State down to see it seven or eight years ago. I am not being disrespectful to him but it was a mistake because nothing ever happened and the pressure was put back on me. The Minister of State brought the Minister there but he did not deliver. The previous Minister was down there about 12 months ago; he has not delivered. The bottom line is the river needs to be cleaned and the pearl mussel is the problem. I have nothing against the protection of the pearl mussel but what has happened recently is that the river has flooded. That blew the pearl mussel into the field. The pearl mussel is gone now.”
“I may not have welcomed the Minister of State to his position yet; we certainly have not spoken one to one yet. I wish him the best of luck. It is a serious area in which he was previously actively involved. A lot of issues were improved but many are left to improve. Unfortunately, I have a public meeting for Independent Ireland to attend so I will have to leave straight away. I will listen to his response on the way down. The problem is rivers are not being cleaned out. I do not think anybody said that. Perhaps they did and I was not listening properly but nobody has concentrated on it. That is where the problem lies. If the Minister of State does not have the powers to strike the stick on the ground and say a river has to be cleared out, we will be in the same situation in every town and village as we were previously.”
“I would appreciate it if the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, would look at that area as well. It is only fair that this is brought up as well as the school secretaries and the terrible situation they find themselves in during the summer.”
“Basically, when it is holiday time here and the Oireachtas steps aside for a few months, these broadcasting workers do not get paid and have to sign on social welfare. This is a terribly unfair situation they find themselves in. All they are asking is for a bit of fair play. We need to look at this too. The Oireachtas only sits for about 100 days so outside of those days, they have no income and often must rely on social welfare. They receive no retainers, no pensions, no healthcare, and no income protections. Imagine that in here where legislation is made this is how we treat our own workers. This is something we need to look at. They work unsociable hours and during the run up to an election, they have no work for months. There are about 20 of these people working in the House.”
“Independent Ireland supports the intentions and core mechanisms of the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025. We welcome the enhanced protection for workers, and especially those caught in informal insolvency situations. We urge caution to ensure that small businesses are not overwhelmed by the administrative demands, that costs are not unfairly passed on to employers via increased PRSI, and that the new system is monitored to prevent abuse. We talk about sorting out the world but we also need to look at our own problems here. I met the Oireachtas broadcasting workers recently. They are being treated terribly unfairly here in the Dáil, a bit like the school secretaries.”
“The requirements for employers to interact with the Department, provide statutory declarations, and navigate a formal process may be difficult for non-corporate employers who lack HR or legal support. We would favour the introduction of simple, digital templates or low-cost advisory supports for small businesses facing claims. Financially the projected cost to the State is €570,500 per year in the scheme payments, plus a once-off cost of €14.92 million over five years. Administration costs are estimated at €185,000 annually under the Department of Social Protection. While Independent Ireland supports these investments in fairness and justice for workers we insist that they do not be used to justify a backdoor increase in PRSI or payroll taxes.”
“The VAT rate has not been reduced, which was promised in the lead-up to the general election. The cost of running a small business has increased, with energy costs, insurance costs, and outdoor seating costs, so we need to ensure this does not end up being an added cost to small businesses down the line. While the process provides a necessary safety net, it must be carefully monitored to ensure it is not open to vexatious or unverified claims. Employers must be given fair opportunity and time to challenge claims and supply evidence before a deemed insolvent status is applied. The administrative load on a family-run or sole trader business is another concern.”
“The Bill revises the salary cap application, responding to a Court of Appeal ruling by clarifying how the weekly pay cap of €600 is applied across different claim types. Independent Ireland has some concerns and cautions. We recognise that most small business owners want to treat their staff fairly and responsibly, yet the new process could lead to additional paperwork, form filling, and legal correspondence, especially under sections 4C and 4D. There is also a risk of increased employer costs as there is no clear commitment in the Bill that PRSI rates will not be raised in the future to cover increased payouts. We strongly caution against shifting the cost burden of this legislation on to the employers through higher payroll charges. The cost to a small business at the moment is detrimental.”
“This process helps employees avoid being trapped in limbo due to legal technicalities. We need to remember too that employees are left devastated when they lose their jobs. They have rent or mortgages to pay as well as childcare and the usual costs of living. This is at least one way of protecting the employee. The Bill also recognises sole traders in insolvency arrangements, amending the principal Act to include employers under the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. This is a sensible and overdue change. Additionally, the Bill extends coverage to gender discrimination awards, allowing employees to claim compensation for Circuit Court gender discrimination awards in cases of employers' insolvency.”
“The Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 is crucial legislation that aims to safeguard workers in the event their employer goes under. Independent Ireland firmly supports the principle that no worker should be left unpaid if a business ceases trading. The Bill addresses a significant gap in our law, highlighted by the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, and ensures that employees of small and medium enterprises, including sole traders, are protected. One of the key provisions of this Bill is the introduction of a new deemed insolvency process. This allows workers whose employers stop trading without formally liquidating to apply for their employer to be deemed insolvent. This unlocks access to the insolvency payment scheme providing unpaid wages, holiday pay, notice pay, and more.”
“I thank Ms Michelle O'Mahony and the Australian ambassador for coming to what was a great celebration that I attended last Saturday in Dunmanway. I also had a constituent remind me that, since 2000, extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and Fulani militias had slaughtered 62,000 Nigerian Christians in a genocide shrouded in silence. This atrocity is known as the "silent slaughter" throughout Africa. Ireland stands firm in its commitment to justice and human rights for the people in Gaza but let us not forget the rest of the world. We must ensure our voice is heard in advocating for all victims of injustice regardless of where they are from.”
“Ireland's voice is neutral, trusted and morally urgent. Our neutrality is not passive; it is active, credible and principled. We are here to protect life and dignity without taking sides. Ireland is trusted because we do not serve geopolitical interests. Starvation as a weapon is a breach of international law. Deliberate denial of food and aid is collective punishment. It is a war crime we know from our history during the Great Famine and from the oppression visited on us, the Irish, by others. There is a devastating impact from such actions. I want to mention a group that last week brought the Australian ambassador to Dunmanway to celebrate the anniversary of 14 people who were forced to leave Dunmanway and go to Australia under a programme during the Famine.”
“We support using private hospitals, both in the Republic and Northern Ireland, to get people the care they need faster, which I have been doing for the past number of years with our Belfast or Blind service, which I and Deputy Danny Healy-Rae set up. I also have the hip operation service. We want to expand elective surgery centres to stop the endless cycle of cancellations and backlogs. We need to rebuild trust. When children are harmed, parents are left in the dark, no one is held responsible and trust is broken. We need every family affected by the hip surgery scandal to be given a clear explanation, a full medical review of their child and support if their child has been harmed in order to allow them to move forward.”
“If something is being covered up, we want criminal prosecutions to be possible as opposed to just an internal memo being sent. We believe in protecting whistleblowers. Nurses, doctors or staff who speak up should be safe, not punished. In the postcode lottery, if people live outside a major city, they know how hard it can be to get proper care. That is why we called for more funding for small regional hospitals in order that people in rural Ireland will not be left behind. Our policy states that 45% of the population live outside cities; they deserve access to urgent and routine care 24-7 just like everyone else. The Government should clear the waiting lists. It is no secret that people are waiting months, even years, for procedures. That is not just frustrating; it is dangerous.”
“The people parents trust most in the world are the doctors and surgeons who are supposed to care for their children. This is one of the most atrocious breaches of trust that can be believed. Imagine that, without your knowledge, someone who is supposed to care for your child implanted a device inside them. That should never have been allowed to happen. Compounding that, we find out that operations that were not necessary have been carried out on young children. Independent Ireland has a simple plan: put patients first, hold leaders accountable and make the health service safe and fair for all. Right now, the HSE is too big, too closed off and too untouchable. That is why we want to create a real watchdog, fully independent of the HSE, to monitor what hospitals are doing.”
“That democratic mandate must be honoured. The Minister's apology must not be used as a political cover-up to avoid the further action that is clearly required. Upholding justice requires not just expressions of regret, but concrete steps to identify failings and implement change. We owe it to Shane, his family and every citizen of this State who expects accountability from their institutions. Shane O'Farrell's death was a tragedy but another tragedy would be letting it pass without learning from it. The apology is a start, but it is not the end. Again, I would like to pass my condolences to Shane's family.”
“If our justice system is to function with integrity, it must be open to scrutiny. Shielding these failures from sunlight does a disservice not only to Shane's family, but to every family in this country. This is not about one individual or one bad decision; it is about a pattern of dysfunction that poses a risk to every person in Ireland. A public inquiry would not only serve justice for the O'Farrell family, but identify the systemic weaknesses that need urgent reform. It would provide a foundation for better interagency communication, proper bail enforcement, meaningful oversight and a justice system that prioritises public safety. Only through such an inquiry can we ensure that what happened Shane's family does not happen to another family. The Oireachtas has already voted in favour of a public inquiry.”
“I fully support the call for such an inquiry, as does Independent Ireland. I call on all Members of the Oireachtas to do the same. Previous investigations, including the GSOC review, the independent review mechanism and the Haughton scoping exercise, have fallen short. These processes were narrow in scope, opaque in their methods and failed to compel or interrogate key witnesses under oath. They left the most important questions unanswered and did little to restore public confidence in our institutions. The public has a right to know how this happened and, more importantly, how it can be prevented from happening in the future. A full public inquiry, conducted transparently and independently and with the power to compel testimony, is the only credible path forward.”
“Rather, it must be the beginning of real accountability and systemic reform. An apology without action is hollow. Words of regret must be matched with a sincere commitment to the uncovering of the full truth. The core question remains unanswered. How was a man with over 40 convictions, multiple breaches of bail and an outstanding warrant still free to drive on Irish roads? Shane O'Farrell did not die in a vacuum. His death occurred within a context of chronic failures across our justice system. Policing, prosecutions, bail, monitoring and judicial oversight are not merely administrative errors; they are systemic issues with life or death consequences. The O'Farrell family has been clear that only a full public inquiry can uncover the complete chain of failures that led to Shane's death.”
“I want to begin by welcoming the statement of apology delivered by the Minister for Justice in the Dáil. It is right and proper that the State formally acknowledge the multiple failings that contributed to the tragic and entirely avoidable death of Shane O'Farrell. This apology is a long overdue recognition of the pain, frustration and injustice suffered by Shane's family over the past 14 years. It represents a significant step in acknowledging the truth, namely, that the system failed Shane and failed his family. I commend the O'Farrell family for their relentless pursuit of justice. Their dignity, resilience and commitment in the face of stonewalling and bureaucratic delay have been extraordinary. The apology is meaningful, but it must not be seen as the conclusion of this matter.”
“I certainly will be one of those opposing this. Down through the years people have been treated as if they are being unfair to animals when I do not always agree that is the case. There certainly are controls and people have respect for certain areas. Independent Ireland is opposing this.”