Mike Kennelly
Labour Panel · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I express my deep concern at the devastating wildfire that affected Killarney National Park yesterday evening. It is one of the most treasured national landscapes in the country.”
“However, as that excitement builds ahead of the biggest day in the GAA's calendar, there is again a growing concern among Kerry and Mayo supporters and others about how they will get to Croke Park.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. My ask is for the Minister for Transport to liaise with Irish Rail and Bus Éireann to ensure that adequate transport is provided for all football supporters from Kerry and Mayo for the upcoming All-Ireland final. I congratulate Kerry and Mayo on reaching this year's All-Ireland football final.”
“This is not just a Kerry issue or a Mayo issue; it is a national issue. We heard yesterday on the Order of Business that even Louth and Wicklow supporters had difficulties getting to Croke Park last Saturday. The All-Ireland final is one of the largest sporting events in the country, bringing tens of thousands of supporters together.”
“The use of barbecues, open flames or any activity that creates a fire risk in such conditions is simply unacceptable. What may seem like a harmless act can, in a matter of minutes, destroy habitats that have taken generations to develop and places lives in danger.”
“Yesterday was just a reminder of the of the serious consequences that can arise when risks are taken with fire. The land and trees are so dry at the moment that a spark could destroy every amenity we have.”
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“I also question An Garda Síochána and the Minister on a separate irregularities case related to the supplementary register in the Killarney local electoral area, which has seen a long investigation by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, and An Garda Síochána into alleged improper stamping of supplementary photo applications, where the many applicants were not present to prove identities. This dates back six years to 2019, with a file referred and pending decision since April 2024. I call on the Minister for justice to come to the Seanad to explain and review these cases. This has made a total mockery of our democratic society.”
“It is also emerging that gardaí incorrectly told the journalists covering the court that no case was being heard and therefore no attendance by the journalists was warranted. This situation has the effect of undermining people's faith in democracy and our democratic institutions. At a time when democracy is being challenged throughout the world, it is totally unacceptable. The Department of justice and-or the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, the Electoral Commission and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage should review this case and make sure we have a far more robust defence of the laws around voting and the integrity of the voting process. People contest these elections in truth and honesty and in the belief they can represent their people in a fair electoral contest.”
“Absolutely. A Cahersiveen man had avoided a conviction for election fraud after he cast a vote in the local election in June 2024 using a polling card that was not in his name. This polling card was registered to an address in Killarney and had been in a tractor along with several others and that one was missing from the tractor. It is quite extraordinary to learn that in a case where a guilty plea was made by the accused to the serious charge of voter fraud, the plea went without a conviction or, as is becoming clearer, a thorough investigation into the facts of the incident. It has made a mockery of our democracy. It appears at no time was the accused asked who had requested or organised for him to cast a vote under another person's identity.”
“I feel compelled to raise a worrying and serious matter that has come into the public domain following a court case last week in Killarney, County Kerry, in relation to voter impersonation at Kenmare polling station on 7 June 2024. A Cahersiveen man has avoided a conviction-----”
“Parents send their children to ordinary national schools all over north Kerry, but if an opportunity arises for a pick-up point to allow their child to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, there will be more than nine children. I guarantee the Minister of State that would be the case. The sustainability of the route will not be an issue for Bus Éireann.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the fantastic school of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. The one thing we want to do is make it accessible to everybody. I received a letter from the principal of Gaelscoil Lios Tuathail this morning. It states: In September fifth and sixth class, we have the following children who will be attending the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí: One from Lixnaw; one from Ballylongford; one from Duagh; two from Kilmorna; one from Ballyduff; one from Tarbert; and two from Moyvane. The nearest pickup point for many of these areas is far away. I seek an accommodation for the nine children who want to attend the Gaelcholáiste next year. I will sit down with the officials to find the nearest pick-up point to allow these kids to attend the Irish school.”
“Let us support our language not just in words but through action and deliver real equality for the communities of north Kerry and for the students who want to attend the school. I will give one practical example. The bus that leaves Listowel to go directly to the Gaelcholáiste in Tralee leaves at 8 a.m. A child - one of two siblings - who wants to get that 8 a.m. bus from Tarbert next year will have to be up at about 6.30 a.m. to get ready for school and get dropped at the bus for 8 a.m. I urgently ask the Minister of State to progress the new routes.”
“Parents are being forced to drive a round trip of up to 25 km every day just to get their children to school. Others rely on outdated connections and long, indirect journeys that place great stress on students and their families. This is simply not good enough in 2025. No child should be denied access to education based on where they live and no parent should be put in the impossible position of choosing between their child's education and their family's daily routines. I call on the Minister for Transport and Bus Éireann to build on the progress we have made and extend the school bus routes to serve all north Kerry. We have shown that solutions are possible. We now need to apply them fairly, consistently and urgently. Let us ensure every student has a fair chance to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee.”
“The school provides excellent education and a living connection to our national language and identity but that should extend to students across north Kerry, from places like Ballybunion, Tarbert, Moyvane, Causeway, Astee, Ballyduff and Kilmorna. Nine pupils in the Gaelscoil primary school in Listowel have been identified to attend the Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee next year. However, there are no accessible connections to our school transport network. Therein lies the problem. The network has been extended into Lixnaw now, which is fantastic, but we need to extend it further. We need to get kids in other non-Irish speaking primary schools showing they want to attend the secondary school too. Families are being punished for choosing the medium of Irish language education.”
“I thank it sincerely for its co-operation and hard work in recent months. I have been proud to work alongside it and I am very pleased we have secured a new school bus route from Abbeydorney and Lixnaw to allow students to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. This is a great development. I greatly welcome it, as do the parents. It is a life-changer for them and the students. It is proof that progress is possible when local needs are listened to. I thank Councillor Aoife Kennelly for her work on this matter too. This is, however, just a start for any child who wishes to attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee, the only Irish language secondary school in north Kerry.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to the House. As a neighbouring county, I wish County Cork all the best in the upcoming all–Ireland hurling final. We hold no grudges when it comes to the hurling ball. My Commencement matter concerns the need for the Minister for Transport and Bus Éireann to review the rural school bus routes in County Kerry and extend services beyond the Listowel catchment area and into the Ballybunion and north Kerry area. An issue close to the hearts of many families in my county, especially in north Kerry, is school transport access to Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí. It is the only Irish-speaking secondary school in north Kerry and services the area from Tralee into the hinterland. I acknowledge the positive steps taken recently by Bus Éireann.”
“I would be clogging that system up and clogging up the whole HSE format. I ask for a written statement from the HSE that it will review this situation and what I have stated here on the floor of the Seanad as soon as possible. We need this. It is an urgent medical call from the people of north Kerry to the HSE and to SouthDoc management, who have not been forthcoming. Many councillors from the Listowel area have asked for these boys to come to the table and they have refused. I ask the HSE to review this with SouthDoc and to come back to the people of north Kerry with a positive answer.”
“It is just not good enough. For many people, it is not accessible although, if you do not have transport, someone will come out. In the context of health, it is a case of picking and choosing. It is not sustainable. It is not something that can continue until we get a full service in the primary care centre in Listowel, as I have mentioned. To take anything else out of this is just not good enough. On the out-of-hours service, the two areas of Ballybunion and Ballyheigue are on the Wild Atlantic Way. The population grows threefold or fourfold during the summer months. When do accidents happen and when do kids fall? It is almost always out of hours. There is nothing fast available. If I travel to Listowel tomorrow morning, the accident and emergency department will probably be clogged up.”
“I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I have seen this before. Let us be honest. I will go back to what I said in my opening contribution; the population here has grown nearly twofold. We should be thankful that it has. During the Covid pandemic, many of the kids came home to live and work in the area and in their family homes. They have stayed in the area. Football team numbers are increasing. Everything is increasing. However, what has unfortunately been decreasing is emergency out-of-hours care services. The out-of-hours service contract covers from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every evening. In Listowel, it was initially from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. but that has disappeared. It is okay to say that someone will come out if it is important but, at the top end of north Kerry, that is not 25 minutes later but five hours later.”
“I call urgently on the Minister for Health, the HSE and the management of SouthDoc to do the right thing and re-establish an out-of-hours SouthDoc space in Listowel, give the people of north Kerry what they deserve - safe, timely and local medical care no matter the hour. Healthcare access should not depend on your postcode. We need action now before this gap in service leads to even greater harm.”
“Parents tell me they are terrified when their children get sick in the middle of the night. Elderly residents are delaying getting help and local emergency departments are already under pressure because there is no nearby alternative for a basic out-of-hours service. This is not just a convenience issue, it is a public health issue that is only getting worse. We are not asking for something extraordinary. We are asking of the same level of access to care that other towns of a similar size and population have. If the infrastructure is available and in Listowel, then an out-of-hours service must follow. In the Minister of State's own area of west Cork, he is well aware of the SouthDoc service in Clonakilty into Bantry and Skibbereen and even over to Macroom. We need this service, which his own area has.”
“and there is a casualty and stitches are required for a young person, by the time they get to Tralee and back, the cut would probably have closed up itself. It is not fair. Listowel is significant regional town. We are fortunate to have a new, modern primary care centre that provides an excellent range of wrap-around services - GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, mental health support and more - but we do not have an out-of-hours GP service. That is the missing piece in a system that should be built to serve people where they live, not force them to travel long distances in distress. What message does that send to the people of north Kerry? That their health is less important? That their distance makes them second-class citizens? That is how many in our community feel.”
“Residents in this large rural region from Astee to Abbeydorney - I will give the Minister of State a geography lesson - Ballylongford to Ballyduff, Ballybunion to Ballyheige, Moyvane to Kilflynn, Tarbert to Lixnaw, Duagh to Causeway, Lyracrumpane to Finuge and into Listowel town - that is the area - require this emergency service to be reinstated. This large area has a growing population, as many do, an elderly population and a large sporting population, so the need outscores any claim against it. Right now, these people must travel to Tralee after hours to access urgent care. For many, that is a 40 km to 50 km journey one way. In a medical emergency at night with young children or for elderly and vulnerable patients, that is not safe, fair or sustainable. I mentioned Astee. If there is a game there today before 8 p.m.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I am speaking on a promise I made to the people of north Kerry that, when I became a voice for them in the Seanad, I would do what I could to reinstate out-of-hours SouthDoc services in Listowel. SouthDoc is an out-of-hours GP service operating across Kerry and Cork, providing urgent medical care when a person's regular GP is unavailable. It is designed for situations that require prompt attention but are not life threatening. This issue affects the everyday lives, well-being and safety of the people of north Kerry. An out-of-hours SouthDoc service needs to be reinstated in Listowel as soon as possible. As it stands, there is no out-of-hours GP service in Listowel or anywhere else in north Kerry.”
“The widening insurance protection gap demands a strategic response both to protect people and keep Ireland attractive as a global insurance hub. At the heart of this issue is a very simple idea: insurance must work for people. This is not about protecting profits; it is about protecting livelihoods. It is about ensuring families, small businesses and voluntary groups can afford the cover they need. The public has been patient and now they deserve results. There is a need to focus, deliver what was promised and ensure the real beneficiaries of reform are the people and businesses of Ireland.”
“A past diagnosis should not mean lifelong insurance discrimination. Third, we should promote insurtech, innovation and competition, including from new domestic and international entrants. Fourth, we should accelerate the release of claims data to keep consumers and policymakers informed. Fifth, we should strengthen the Injuries Resolution Board further so more cases are resolved out of court, saving time and money. Sixth, we should maintain the Cabinet subcommittee on insurance reform to drive political accountability. We must be honest about emerging risks, especially climate-related risks. In my area, a family affected by flooding in recent years entered the OPW’s relocation programme but still has not found a house. The number of properties that have no insurance because of extreme weather events has to be top of the agenda.”
“We cannot claim victory while community groups are struggling to get event cover or small business owners are being squeezed by rising costs. We must demand greater transparency in how premiums are calculated and ensure savings created by reform are passed on to the people paying the bills. I welcomed the launch last month of a new Garda system to detect uninsured vehicles. This is already showing results, with a significant drop in uninsured driving. This is a real-world example of reform in action. Looking ahead, we first need to commit to reviewing the personal injuries guidelines every seven years, as indicated by Senator Linda Nelson Murray. We must not increase awards arbitrarily and instead ensure they remain balanced and evidence based. Second, we must prioritise legislation for the right to be forgotten for cancer survivors.”
“The move in 2021 sent a strong message that we would not tolerate dishonesty that penalises honest customers. We have also rebalanced the duty of care, tightened solicitor advertising regulations, enhanced co-ordination between An Garda Síochána and the insurance industry and established an insurance fraud co-ordination office to ensure consistency and accuracy in fraud detection and reporting. The national claims information database has been expanded, improving transparency and helping policymakers track the real impact of reforms. These are all significant steps but let me be very clear: consumers and business owners are still not seeing the full benefit. They want one thing, lower premiums, and rightly so. That is the ultimate measure of success for any insurance reform.”
“Four implementation reports have tracked that work and the crucial steps that have been taken, such as the establishment of the office to promote competition in the insurance market and the introduction in 2021 of the personal injuries guidelines, which brought greater consistency and reduced compensation levels across many types of claims. The reform of the Injuries Resolution Board is a key milestone. It introduced mediation as a method to resolve employer liability claims, mandated stronger identity verification and required that injuries in claims be tied clearly to the actual incident. All of these are essential measures in reducing fraud and restoring trust in the system. I especially welcomed the decision in 2021 to make perjury a statutory offence. Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime; it drives up premiums for everyone.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I welcome the proposal and acknowledge the work Senator Linda Nelson Murray and her seconder have put into this. I, too, am against the very excessive increase of 16.7% proposed by the Judicial Council following the review of the personal injuries guidelines. This proposed change would undermine the progress we have made in rebalancing the system. It would send the wrong message, not just to insurers but also to every small business owner, community group and ordinary consumer who was promised a fairer, more affordable insurance market. I speak today to support this motion, which both recognises the work done so far on insurance reform and outlines the critical next steps. Since the action plan for insurance reform was published in 2020, we have seen genuine progress.”
“However, that spirit is being tested by this continued lack of a serious service. Residents are feeling forgotten and, frankly, they have a right to feel that way. Today, I am calling on the Minister for Health, the HSE and the SouthDoc management to act without delay. We need a fully operational out-of-hours GP service based in Listowel, one that meets the needs of our people and restores confidence in our health infrastructure. The health of the people in north Kerry should never have been compromised in the first place. I call on the Minister to come to the House to debate this matter.”
“We are not asking for a luxury; we are asking for a basic essential healthcare service to be accessible to the people of north Kerry, the same service that is rightly available in comparable towns around the country. Healthcare should not be a postcode lottery. The absence of a local out-of-hours GP service is putting real strain on families. Parents with sick children are forced to bundle them into cars late at night for long drives. Older people are either delaying care or relying on already overstretched emergency services. Our front-line workers - the paramedics and the doctors and nurses in Tralee - are under increased pressure because of a problem that has a practical achievable solution. The population of north Kerry is growing. Listowel and other parts of north Kerry have a proud history and a strong community spirit.”
“I want to speak today on a matter of importance for the people of north Kerry, namely, the urgent need for the reinstatement of an out-of-hours SouthDoc service in Listowel. As it stands, there is no SouthDoc out-of-hours service operating in north Kerry. This means that for medical attention after regular hours, people in north Kerry and the surrounding areas, from Ballylongford to Duagh, from Tarbert to Lixnaw, from Asdee to Abbeydorney, from Ballyduff to Moyvane, from Finuge to Ballybunion, from Ballyheigue to Causeway and from Kilflynn and Knockanure, must travel all the way to Tralee, which, for some, means a round trip of 80 km. For vulnerable, elderly and sick patients, that is simply not acceptable.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his reply. As I said in my first contribution, the time has come to move beyond outdated catchment policies and towards a demand-led approach that reflects how families live and learn today. According to the Minister of State, Bus Éireann has advised that there is a service that pupils of this area can avail of, with pick-up points of approximately 9.2 km or 7.2 km away. That is unacceptable in this day and age. There is a need for a demand-led approach on this route. I urge the Departments of transport and education to review this application immediately and prioritise the route for the students so as to remove this stress for the 2025-26 academic year. I would like a written response to the effect that it can be reviewed soon, as I believe the closing date is next week.”
“I welcome any updates the Minister of State may have on discussions with Bus Éireann regarding this proposal and look forward to seeing meaningful progress made without delay.”
“The time has come to move beyond outdated catchment policies and towards a demand-led approach that reflects how families live and learn today. If we fail to act now, we risk further isolating rural students and deepening inequality in access to education. I urge the Government to work closely with Bus Éireann and local stakeholders to ensure this service is in place by the start of the next school year. Families cannot afford another year of logistical challenges and financial hardship just to access basic education. Education should never be compromised by inadequate transport. The Government must ensure rural students have the same access and opportunities as their urban peers.”
“Providing a dedicated school bus route along the R557 would not just alleviate pressures on these families but would also open the door for more students to attend an Irish language school and experience the broader curriculum options offered in Tralee's secondary schools. Education through our native language, combined with expanded subject choices, should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford private transport. Meanwhile, a Local Link service, the 272 from Tralee to Ballybunion, runs daily with fewer passengers than the numbers we are talking about here because extra capacity was put in place because of population rises in these areas. If that is viable, surely a dedicated school transport service with a clear, growing demand deserves equal consideration.”
“It is physical and emotional. Parents are forced to juggle work, childcare and long daily commutes, all because a basic public service is lacking. The current system does not reflect the real educational needs or realities of these families. Of the 29 affected students we know of, 11 attend Mercy Mounthawk in Tralee, 11 attend Tralee CBS, and seven attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, the closest Irish language secondary school available to these students. This is a crucial point. Students attending Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí should, under current entitlements, be supported by a designated school transport route. There should be a clear responsibility for Bus Éireann and the Department to assist students in attending Irish medium education, not only to nurture our language and culture but also to ensure equitable access to such opportunities.”
“I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and thank him for taking the time to address this important issue. I am advocating for the urgent implementation of a dedicated Bus Éireann secondary school transport route to Tralee in County Kerry, specifically servicing the communities of Lixnaw and Abbeydorney, which are located in north Kerry, where I currently reside. In these communities, 19 families and 29 students face significant challenges due to the absence of a structured, reliable transport service. At present, parents are forced to pay out of pocket for private transport arrangements, placing unnecessary financial strain on households. Beyond the cost, families must drive up to 14 km a day just to reach scattered pick-up points, which is an unfair and unsustainable burden on rural families. The strain is not just financial.”
“An immediate collaboration with Bus Éireann and local stakeholders is essential to provide a structured solution without delay. Councillor Aoife Kennelly is supporting this group and is advocating for it to deliver this route that is needed. As I said, 19 families and 29 students have no transport to get into Tralee for education. Will the Leader invite the Minister to come to the Seanad with a detailed response, hopefully in support of this critical route?”
“If action is not taken now, these problems will only worsen. This will leave more families grappling with logistical and financial difficulties. An important aspect of this issue is that many of the affected children attend Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí in Tralee which is the Irish language school available to them. Under existing entitlements, they should have access to a designated bus service and yet this rise is currently being overlooked. These students and their families deserve the same consideration and support as those in other areas where transport routes are provided. I urge the Minister for education to act swiftly to ensure this service is put in place by the next school year. Families cannot afford another year of financial strain and logistical difficulties just to access basic education.”
“I wish to advocate on behalf of those seeking the implementation of a dedicated Bus Éireann secondary school transport route to Tralee from north Kerry, specifically servicing the communities of Lixnaw and Abbeydorney. In these communities, 19 families and 29 students face significant challenges due to the absence of a structured reliable transport service. At present, parents are forced to pay out of their own pockets for private transport arrangements. This is placing an unnecessary financial strain on households. Beyond the cost, families must drive miles to reach scattered pick-up points just to ensure their children can access education in Tralee. This is an unfair and unsustainable burden on rural families. In addition, population growth in Lixnaw and Abbeydorney indicates that demand for school transport will continue to rise.”
“I urge the Minister and the RSA to prioritise these issues and install a driving test centre in Listowel, which will relieve a lot of stress for parents.”
“If 100 kids are sitting their tests today in Kerry, 50 of them will go back on the list. Rather than beating around the bush, I will suggest that other things may be at play here. I congratulate the Department on the work it has done already. Some 70 additional testers have been employed and we hope that figure will be up to 200 by September or November. One practical suggestion for Kerry would be the establishment of a new driving test centre in Listowel. People from north Kerry must go to Tralee, where the waiting list is so long. People are now travelling further to Killarney. It is totally unacceptable. My son has been playing a lot of football recently. He is on that waiting list. Getting him to training and games is a heartache. It is unacceptable.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today on a really serious topic. I am not going rehash everything that has been said. However, the situation in Kerry is particularly concerning. According to the latest figures, the waiting time for a driving test in Tralee averages approximately 26 or 27 weeks, while in Killarney, applicants face a delay of up to 15 weeks. These prolonged waiting times are unacceptable and place undue stress on individuals who need their licences to work or provide essential services. I am most concerned about the failure rate across the country. In my county of Kerry, the pass rate is 53.6% in Tralee and 52.8% in Killarney. That is unacceptable. That may be the result of bad learning behaviour or techniques picked up by these kids. I do not know the cause.”
“Any scaling-back of these services has compromised and will compromise patient safety and places an additional strain on elderly, overburdened emergency departments. The people of Listowel and the surrounding areas deserve equitable and timely access to healthcare. I strongly urge the HSE and SouthDoc management to work with other local representatives and community stakeholders to fully reinstate the normal out-of-hours services at the Listowel primary care centre without delay. I am calling on the Minister for Health to come to this House for a debate on these serious health concerns for the people of my area.”
“I rise this morning regarding serious health concerns for the people of Listowel in north Kerry and the people of west Limerick. I am calling for the full restoration of the SouthDoc services at Listowel primary care centre. As stated, I am calling on the HSE and SouthDoc to immediately restore full out-of-hours GP services at the Listowel primary care centre to their previous operational levels. The recent reductions or alterations of these services have had a serious impact on the healthcare access for the people of north Kerry, particularly the elderly, families with young children and those without the transport to travel to other centres. SouthDoc plays a vital role in providing urgent medical care during evenings, weekends and public holidays.”
“I also agree with the Minister that there should be an evidence-based approach and sufficient time for an examination of evidence and public health concerns relating to such substances. I agree with the Bill and really support it. Some 18 months is a long time away, but I would like to work on the Bill and with Senator Keogan on the mandatory screening. We saw three teenagers die in the last three weeks, so I support this Bill going forward and support anything that can put more pressure on the Government to bring it to fruition before the 18-month timeline.”
“Medical professionals and public health experts have repeatedly warned us of the dangers. Consumption of these drinks by children has been linked to increased heart rate, high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, anxiety, behavioural difficulties and even cardiac incidents in rare, but serious, cases. They are often consumed in combination with sugar laden diets, or even alcohol, increasing the risks. Last week I tabled a Commencement matter that I will really pursue about the mandatory health screening for every kid from 12- to 18-years-of-age, which would hopefully detect undiagnosed heart conditions. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments of the Bill.”
“This proposal is not about curtailing personal freedoms or interfering with choice, it is about safeguarding the health and well-being of our young people; children who are still developing physically, mentally and emotionally and who deserve the full protection of the law when it comes to substances that can cause harm. As stated, energy drinks are marketed aggressively to adults and children. They are often presented as essential for athletic performance, which is wrong. They are also presented as contributing to concentration and endurance but let us not be misled; these drinks contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants, often in quantities far exceeding those found in a standard cup of coffee or a can of soft drink. Some cans contain up to three times the recommended daily caffeine limit for a child in a single serving.”
“I welcome the Minister of State and I thank Senator Keogan for bringing forward what I believe is a very important Bill. It is timely. As a parent and as a coach all my life who has dealt with children and adults, I have seen first hand what these stimulant drinks can do. They can drive kids, young adults and even adults nearly to a certain point of breakdown. It is timely and necessary to restrict the sale of stimulant drinks, commonly known as energy drinks, to children under the age of 16 in Ireland. As far as I am concerned, no child should be sold caffeine.”
“A report on the minor flood relief scheme works in Listowel has been commissioned by Kerry County Council and the OPW. We were expecting the Minister of State to visit Listowel to allay all the fears of further flooding in the area. I will not finish until everyone is happy with the work the Minister of State and I, as a public representative in the Seanad, do for them. Is it feasible that the family will get an increase? What is the position on the works in Listowel?”
“I wholeheartedly thank the Minister of State. The family has applied for the offer to be revised and increased. Can it take it that it is with the Department and we can look positively on an increase for the family to secure a home? I welcome all the work that has been done. It has been revised twice and the family has gone back again to look for further funding to eventually get out of this nightmare that they have been living in for more than ten years. On the Listowel works, I wholeheartedly thank the OPW for everything it has done to alleviate any future heartache for people in the area. This is my third time speaking about flooding events in the Listowel area. I thank the Department. The Clievragh works in Listowel were a contributing factor in the downstream flooding that affected the family. The works are nearly finished.”
“The Minister of State has seen this himself. This family have been through hell more times than Satan. I look forward to the Minister of State's answer. It is to be hoped we can come to a conclusion on this.”
“I wish to allow for a portion of the relocation funds to be used as a deposit, as is standard in private sales. I want to ensure bridging support or temporary accommodation is provided during the gap between demolition and new purchase. This makes sense. Most important, there is a need to review and increase the offer to reflect the reality of the current housing market in Kerry, where even modest homes are now attracting bids in excess of €350,000. Let us not allow bureaucracy to prolong the suffering of this family. They have waited long enough and it is time we acted with compassion and with common sense. As I have said from the get-go, Listowel has been a lightning rod over the past ten years. This family were the first to be really affected by flooding events that have changed and destroyed areas.”