Natasha Newsome Drennan
Carlow-Kilkenny · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“Rates of TB in the North are far higher than in the South and many outbreaks in the South have been traced back to Northern herds. Farming families are put under immense pressure financially and mentally when they lose a herd to TB. That is heartbreaking.”
“I welcome the chance to speak about the fiscal impact of the long-overdue reunification of Ireland. I also welcome the Tánaiste's speech. It is a pity that more people in the House did not speak up in the same way. For too long a false narrative has been published by those who oppose reunification.”
“We need to ask why the economy in the North lags behind that of the South and, more importantly, how we can fix that. There is no doubt that reunification will bring challenges, but it will also bring immense opportunities. It is time that we started focusing on those.”
“This legislation exists because of the advocacy and commitment of Jason Poole, whose sister was killed by her ex-partner, a man with a documented history of domestic violence. The research clearly shows that individuals with prior records of abuse are significantly more likely to offend, often with escalating severity.”
“I strongly welcome the introduction of the domestic violence register and fully support this Bill. It is encouraging to see cross-party support for its introduction, which is a clear sign that this issue crosses all political divides and demands action. The reality is that domestic violence is seldom a one-off incident.”
“Over the past 25 years, Amber has grown and become a safe haven for many women and children. For far too long, Carlow has been one of the few counties in the State without a women's refuge. Given the rise in calls relating to domestic abuse and cases of domestic abuse, that is nothing short of a disgrace.”
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“Farmers having to spread slurry in heavy rain just because of the date does not help our water quality. Dates need to be flexible. Slurry spreading should be set by weather conditions only. ACRES has, overall, been a positive step. It supports farmers to restore and strengthen biodiversity in their local area. However, issues relating to payment with long, unacceptable delays that left farmers out of pocket have damaged the willingness of farmers to sign up to the scheme. We cannot afford to lose their trust. The penny-pinching mindset of the Government when it comes to our natural environment needs to be called out. Ireland invests less than half the EU average of its GDP in nature. That is truly shocking for an island of such natural beauty. How we view the environment and biodiversity cannot be confined by political boundaries.”
“When it comes to forestry coverage, we are far below the EU average, which sits at around 35%, while Ireland is barely over 10%. The Government has a duty to enhance the standing of our special protection areas. Let us take the Wicklow Mountains special area of conservation - in particular, Lugnaquilla. Despite being a hugely popular location, its conservation status is rated as unfavourable to bad. The Government had a prime opportunity to buy over 1,500 acres of land, including Lugnaquilla, for just €2 million. We can imagine what a national project that would have been. It would have been an opportunity to show ambition, restore biodiversity and show people what is truly possible. Calendar farming does not always work. In fact, it can be very risky.”
“As someone who comes from a rural community, the biodiversity crisis facing Ireland is not some abstract concern, it is a visible reality, one that I have watched worsen decade by decade. It is now seven years since a biodiversity emergency was declared in Ireland, yet we are still not acting with the urgency that declaration demands. All stakeholders across the sector - especially in rural communities - need to come together and work collectively on it. The Government must accept that rural Ireland is not just part of the solution. Rural Ireland must be the driving force in combating this crisis and pulling our habitats back from the brink of destruction. The findings make for grim reading. Some 90% of Ireland's habitats are now in an inadequate or poor state.”
“The other side of it is that cameras alone will not solve the issues on these roads. This road in particular has a huge volume of traffic on it. It was never built for that traffic. I ask the Minister of State to look into these. I am sure he will find there has been a huge volume of penalties on that road. I urge the Minister of State to look into this. The drivers are going into a 100 km/h zone. For anything over a reasonable rate, those points should be taken off them. It is unfair when there is not enough signage going into it.”
“One lady got three points. By the time she reaches where the signage is, she has already reached the camera. She cannot slow down in time for it. She has never been a bad driver, but she is getting caught. She got three points going to the boat on her holidays. Guess what? On the way back, she got another three points. There are numerous cases of people, not just from Kilkenny, but from Wexford and Carlow. Anybody travelling along that road is getting points on their licence. The signage is not good enough. I welcome cameras. The people in south Kilkenny welcomed these cameras, but it is unfair that people do not have enough signage coming into where the cameras are. People are using that road maybe once a year to go on their holidays, and all of a sudden, it has changed. I find that very unfair.”
“I want to bring to the Minister of State's attention a road in south Kilkenny, the N25. For years, there has been a campaign to put safety measures in place on this road. It is welcome that the cameras have been put in place, but cameras alone are not going to solve this road. It needs huge attention. I bring to the Minister of State's attention the fact that TII has said that there is enough signage and notice going towards where the cameras are. Numerous people have contacted me and I have driven the road. There is not enough signage coming into the road. People are heading for the boat in Wexford. They are coming close to where the cameras are, but the cameras are getting them before they know it. It is dark and they are going down for the boat. They are not seeing the signage. They have driven the road the year before.”
“They tried to fool the public into believing that liberalising the market would bring more choice and reduce prices. Instead, in the early 2000s the Irish Government drove up prices for ESB customers by nearly 70%, for one reason only: to force customers to leave the ESB and to make the market more profitable for private energy companies. Just as the private market has failed the Irish public in the supply of affordable housing, so too has it failed in the supply of affordable energy. However, the private market has ensured record prices for investors and stakeholders at the expense of the Irish public. For Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the interests of ordinary people have always come second to the interest of capital and profits for private companies.”
“Since the 1920s, the ESB has been at the core of secure electricity generation across the entire State. It did that to great effect, getting power lines out to the most rural communities. The ESB, as a State-owned body, worked to deliver electricity not as commodity for profit but as a resource for the Irish public. Because it operated in the national interest as oppose to in the interests of lining the pockets of stakeholders and investors, the ESB was able to do all of that while providing affordable electricity and great working conditions for its staff. As a result of Fianna Fáil's and Fine Gael's blind commitment to EU policies that are not always in the national interest, there was a push to open up our energy sector to private ventures.”
“We see resources for hospitals going into black holes. Hospitals like St. Luke's Hospital do the very best with what they get, but they get a slap on the wrist for it. They do not get the resources they need. The Government needs to look at this. Despite these harsh conditions, day in, day out, our nurses go above and beyond. They provide a level of warmth, care and support to members of the public who find themselves in need at a time of great vulnerability. That deserves more than praise. It deserves action.”
“We all remember the then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, threatening to impose financial penalties on striking nurses, or Leo Varadkar telling us that it is best to keep our hospitals under-resourced, with fewer beds, because, according to him, if a hospital is not under pressure, the staff will kick back and relax. That culture in Fine Gael has ensured that any improvement in working conditions for nurses has had to be dragged out of the Government. It is that critical mindset that shows that Fine Gael simply does not understand what it is like to work as a nurse - the long unsociable hours, the chronic understaffing, the physical demands, the high patient-staff ratios and the harsh workload. That is ever more present in St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny. Those who do their best get punished more.”
“I strongly welcome these statements. I want to express my solidarity and thanks to all the nurses working and training across Ireland right now. For the many thousands of nurses who have been forced to emigrate by the failed policies of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, I want them to know this: we will work to build the conditions that give them the real choice to return home, with secure housing and a good quality of life. Over the past ten years, our health service has paid a heavy price because those in power have failed to value and respect our nurses. The knowledge and expertise that we have lost to places like Australia are hard to comprehend. While members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will line up here today to sing the praises of our nurses, it will just be empty words. To be fair, Fine Gael has never hidden how it views our nurses.”
“We would be able to deliver a Common Agricultural Policy far greater than the limits of the current CAP, one that would rejuvenate farming and rural communities and deliver generational renewal. Our food products and those of other member states are among the highest quality in the world. The sky should be the limit for our agri sector. Instead, we see from the Commission a rush to outsource food production to South America and other countries. The majority of people on the island of Ireland would vote for Irish unity as part of the EU. This would hugely help with disease outbreaks in the farming sector, such as the bluetongue virus and bovine viral diarrhoea, BVD. Europe will play its part. We need a referendum because farming knows no boundaries. We have a great opportunity to hold talks during the EU Presidency, and I hope we will.”
“A majority of MEPs voted to refer the Mercosur agreement to the European Court of Justice, yet the Commission chose to cast those concerns to the wind and press ahead to enact the trade deal. How does it look to our farming communities to have their concerns ridden over roughshod by the power of the European Commission? Our farmers and rural communities are feeling the pressure. They are struggling and they are frustrated that their concerns are not being taken on board. There is deep worry for the future. CAP funding is clearly under threat as the Commission seems more keen to increase the budget for arms and bombs than to continue to invest in our food security. If those billions were put into the agri sector instead, we could transform agriculture and our wider food sectors.”
“This week, we mark Europe Day, a day to recognise the positive contributions the European Union has made to Ireland, to this region and on the world stage. We also need to apply a level of self-criticism to the work of the European Union because it has become painfully clear over the past number of years that the EU has shifted far from its core vision and values. Right now, the EU, in particular the European Commission, does not appear to be acting with respect for the collective position of EU citizens and elected Members of the European Parliament. Late last year, we saw widespread opposition to the ratification of the EU Mercosur trade deal by everybody, from farmers to environmentalists.”
“I raise with the Minister the case of Oisín Pollard. At nine years of age, Oisín was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia. For the past 18 years, he has battled on. For most of those 18 years, he was told there was no treatment. Now, for the first time, there is hope. Skyclarys has been rolled out by other EU states with great effect. It is life-changing. However, little progress has been made here. The HSE remains locked into a haggling war over price. For the small number of people suffering with this rare condition, time is precious. It has been nearly two years since Biogen applied to the HSE for reimbursement of this drug. I ask that the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health engage with the HSE to ensure that a solution is found so that Oisín and others get the urgent support they need.”
“The harsh reality is that not every care home works to the highest standards, as we have seen time and again on TV. Enough is enough. We do not need to see such scenes any more. It is happening every day, right now. Time and again we have seen some of our most vulnerable citizens failed by those entrusted with their safety and well-being. It is damning that after all these years with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in power, they have failed to deliver adequate safeguarding legislation. Once again it has been left to us - the Opposition - to bring forward meaningful safeguards that will finally bring about real accountability. Does the Minister of State not think they need assurance and safeguarding legislation? They deserve it.”
“I could not think of a more fitting day to introduce this Bill on adult safeguarding. Today, I had the pleasure of welcoming to the Dáil people I used to support - Ciarán Wall, Ger Ryan, Liam Burke, Gerard Connolly, Peter Glendon, Vincent Anthony, Michael Fenton, Róisín Rockett and Billy Gear. They are some of the most amazing people I had the pleasure of working with as a carer for adults with disabilities. For almost two decades I worked as a carer with the Brothers of Charity, supporting adults with disabilities to live independent full lives - their best life. It was far more than just a job; we built real friendships with those we cared for. I am so happy to have been able to welcome them here today. It is for people just like them that we are introducing this safeguarding legislation.”
“These are not just houses; they represent lives. People's lives are left standing still. People are watching their houses crumble in front of them. Their kids are wondering whether their houses will fall down. They come home from school wondering whether they will still have a house. Mammies and daddies are stressed out of their tree because they do not know how they are going to afford this, what they will tell their children or whether they will be another homeless statistic. It is time to act.”
“I welcome that two new areas are to be included in the scheme. It has been nearly three years since Carlow County Council first requested inclusion in the scheme for homes damaged as a result of the presence of defective concrete blocks. It is six weeks since the Minister finally received the Housing Agency's report, along with its recommendations for the Carlow area. There are only a handful of affected homes in Carlow, but the families involved have been left in limbo as they watch their homes crumble and crack. This report cannot simply sit on the Minister's desk for months on end. We need to see movement on this issue before the summer recess. I ask the Minister to stop stalling and give homeowners a clear and prompt answer. They deserve clarity on whether they will be added to the scheme and a clear timeline for action.”
“The number of parents forced to travel long distances to secure a school place for their child is shocking. It is deeply wrong that children are not provided for in their own community. People in rural Ireland are sick of being left behind by this Government year after year.”
“Those with land are being locked out of building because, across Carlow and Kilkenny, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have completely failed to invest in fit-for-purpose water and waste infrastructure. Over the weekend just gone, businesses in Ferrybank had to close shop, and today they are closed again, because of these failures. People want to live in the community they grew up in. They want to know that their children have access to creche places, school places, a local GP and local sports clubs - a sense of community. I do not think any of those are unrealistic expectations but the reality is that, for so many in rural Ireland, they are. If you live in rural Ireland, all of those - a GP, sports clubs, a school place, especially if your child has additional needs - are limited resources.”
“The Minister’s backbench colleague came out and told people there was great news – he had got the bus sorted. That was a load of bull. Rural communities want more than the crappy promises of some backbencher. They want, and they deserve, a commitment from the Minister and Bus Éireann that these services will be continued and protected. This was a service used by workers, students and the elderly. So much for the Minister’s talk of enhancing public services in rural Ireland. We have seen it time and again - big strategies with long lists of action points but little to no follow-through on delivery. Access to housing is the number one issue in rural Ireland.”
“There is a certain irony in the Minister launching a consultation on his rural future policy just weeks after we saw widespread protests across rural Ireland and his colleagues in government flatly refused to listen to, or engage with, the very people from struggling rural communities. Communities like mine in south Kilkenny do not need more strategies or consultation processes. We need the Government to start delivering for ordinary people. Only recently, for example, we got the announcement that a vital bus route connecting rural villages is to be stopped from the beginning of May. After that, Bus Éireann reviewed the route and confirmed it meets the demand requirement but Bus Éireann is still planning to cut this service despite the review.”
“However, we should not throw out the very tool that has helped thousands of Irish adults escape a lethal addiction. Vaping has taken us far in reducing smoking rates but that progress has stalled. The rate is no longer declining as it should. We need to be looking for the next tool to bring down that number. The cost of smoking to our health service in healthcare costs and to our society in thousands of preventable deaths is still staggering.”
“This measure will not eliminate demand; it will just drive it underground. Much of this Bill is sound, a positive step and, frankly, long overdue. How it has taken so long to prohibit the use of nicotine products by under-18s is beyond me. The changes around advertising and the restrictions on the colour and styling of these products are positive and welcome steps but banning all flavours is a step too far. It is a complete overreach by this Government into the actions and decisions of consenting adults. What will be next? Are we to ban cider because it tastes of apples and might appeal to teenagers? Will we ban fruit-flavoured alcohol drinks? Tackling colour, style and marketing, as the Government is already doing, will reduce the appeal to young people. That is a sound tactic.”
“The numbers are overwhelming. Some 73% of vapers say that fruit flavours play a key role in helping them stay off cigarettes. Some 49% would actively source flavoured vapes online or from abroad if a ban were introduced. A total of 72% believe that a ban would lead to more young people taking up smoking rather than fewer and 71% believe that banning flavours would push current vapers back towards deadly tobacco products. These are not my opinions but the views of the ordinary people whose interests we are here to represent. I have to ask whether the Minister of State and her Department even looked at what is happening in other jurisdictions that have banned flavoured vapes because it has not been a beaming success. The result has been a boom in illegal trading and an unregulated black market.”
“I can guarantee the Minister of State two things. The first is that every single TD in this Chamber has lost a friend, family member or neighbour as a direct result of smoking. The second is that every one of us also knows several people who have quit smoking with the help of vaping, friends or family members whose lives have changed. I am almost certain that almost all of them used the very flavoured vapes the Government is now proposing to ban. Banning flavoured vapes would be a complete own goal in our fight to reduce the number of smokers in Ireland. All the Government would succeed in doing is pushing people back into the grip of the tobacco industry or driving them towards unregulated online platforms where there is little to no oversight on safety, age verification or quality control. Let us look at the figures.”
“There is a double standard in the area of youth work that cannot be ignored. In Dublin, staff are on a far better wage agreement. Youth workers outside Dublin are being left behind despite doing the same job, often in more isolated areas and for significantly less pay. Many are trained up by the local services only to leave for other agencies because of better pay standards. How can the Minister stand over this double standard and treatment? If someone is doing the work, they should be treated and paid equally, regardless of where they are based. Instead, many outside of Dublin receive increments only once every three years if they are lucky. Will the Minister commit to ending this geographic double standard?”
“Proper funding to deal with rising costs and a statutory pay scale for all State-funded youth workers are two measures that would make a meaningful impact. Has the Minister’s Department looked at these proposals? Is she willing to implement them?”
“How can any group effectively plan for long-term development when working off 12-month funding cycles? The Government needs to stop viewing youth service as a cost or expenditure. It must view it for what it really is; an investment. It is an investment with significant short-term supports but enormous long-term returns. It builds social cohesion, reduces antisocial behaviour, guides young people towards contributing positively to the community and reduces the burden on An Garda Síochána and the fire services. I will use Ferrybank, not far from my home, as an example. Last summer, the fire service was called out almost daily to deal with antisocial behaviour activities. I do not need to remind the Minister about how stretched our front-line services are. Whatever we can do to ease that pressure must be explored.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the vital work that Youth Work Ireland is carrying out in communities across the south east. This is also a time to speak on the pressing challenges facing youth workers. Youth Work Ireland represents 20 youth services across the State. They are our front-line services. They are in our communities working as mentors and positive role models in the lives of children and teenagers who are missing those crucial factors. They tackle the root cause of antisocial behaviour rather than simply punishing it. This is the principle of diversion in action, that is, giving a young person a second chance rather than a criminal record. Despite this vital work, these groups are left scrambling for funding from left, right and centre, year after year.”
“As a result, our housing, health, water and transport are all suffering because critical infrastructure projects, vital projects for our economy and the quality of life of people across Ireland are moving at a snail's pace.”
“This Government refuses to bring out wind farm regulations at any speed, while areas are being hampered. In 2025, approximately 13% of the country's wind-generated electricity was wasted because the grid was not strong enough to carry all the power being produced. Over €1 million per day is paid back in curtailment payments. The amount of wasted renewable energy in the 13 months leading up to 31 January 2026 was estimated at a retail value of €559 million. The Government is putting the cart before the horse while communities suffer. Some €1 million or more is wasted per day. How has the Government let this happen? It is no wonder that we are paying among the highest electricity prices. All we see with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael is short-sightedness, no ambition and little to no accountability.”
“It is as clear as day to me and my constituents that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael cannot be trusted to deliver critical infrastructure across this country. I listened to the Taoiseach last week when he spoke about the protestors putting our clean water supply at risk. He said that could not be tolerated and was against the law. I have never heard the Taoiseach speak so resolutely about the thousands of people in Kilkenny and Carlow, in places such as Castlecomer, who have gone years without clean water. How many more years must these families endure dirty water flowing through their taps every day? Those taxpayers are being treated like second-class citizens. Deputy Fleming spoke about people kicking the can down the road and delaying wind farms. The same could be said of the Government with the wind farm regulations.”
“The Minister of State and the Government have failed to listen to the people. They have failed time and time again to hear the people. It is shameful.”
“They asked me what the point was in paying taxes in this country as they would never be able to afford a house. They did not know if they would be able to afford to have children. Parents I met are worried about the future of their own children. There were grown men who cried because their businesses were going under. The political decisions of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have only added fuel to their fire. I stand with the ordinary people of Ireland, who have absolutely no confidence in the Government. The volume of emails I got have stated that quite clearly. Ministers say, as one did today, that some of the people on the protest were their friends. You do not treat your friends like that. I can go back to Carlow-Kilkenny and hold my head high. I know whose side I am on.”
“What I found so uplifting was the constant support coming from the public and from local businesses who wanted to stand with those on the picket line. There is the sheer volume of people who have emailed me over the past few weeks and shared their own personal stories of how the cost-of-living crisis has been suffocating their lives. However, they have been suffering before now. It has not just been because of the war. They have been suffering because of the Government. I got emails from older people and people with disabilities who wanted to be out with the protesters, but they could not because they were at home trying to stay warm, in their beds for longer than they needed to because they could not afford heating oil. It is as simple as that. I met workers in their 20s and 30s who felt helpless.”
“The question I asked was how that was good for ordinary working people, the people we were out on the protest with. The Government's tax breaks ensured that the profits of big developers pushed the average profit of an apartment from approximately €50,000 to €80,000, yet when ordinary working people try their best to get by, go to work, raise a family and find a home and ask for a break and supports, they are given crumbs like a handful of cent off the price of green diesel and home heating oil. Average prices for a home continue to run away from the reach of ordinary people. I am proud to have spent so much time with those on a protest in Kilkenny, ordinary people from every walk of life who are tired and just want a break from the struggles of everyday life.”
“Ministers spoke earlier about Government measures and responsibilities, and how they have the best interests of the people of Ireland in mind. Will the Minister of State tell me this? In the most recent budget, the Government gave a generous tax break to the highly profitable fast food giants like McDonald's and Burger King. How is that in the best interests of ordinary working people?”
“I am a suckler farmer. These are the farmers who are going to be selling weanlings. Their product will not get to the shelves for another year, so they are the ones who are going to be caught. I have asked for the Commission to write back to us but it is just ignoring us. To me, this smells something rotten. Nobody seems to be answering the questions.”
“The Commission clearly holds the Dáil in low esteem. It has consistently failed to reply to concerns raised by me through the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food. We have written to the Commission on a number of occasions since November, which was the first time, then in January and then again as recently as yesterday. We have been seeking answers and clarity, and silence is all we have been met with. The European Parliament voted to refer this deal to the European Court of Justice because of concerns around its legality. This was a democratic vote from representatives of the people of the EU. The Commission has opted to ignore elected representatives here in Ireland and across the EU and pushed on with the deal regardless. Is the Minister not concerned at the blatant disregard for the democratic process?”
“There are very real concerns for consumers and farmers regarding the risk this trade deal poses. We have seen the recall of Brazilian beef over the presence of banned cancer-linked drugs. God only knows how much more drug-riddled beef has been sold in Ireland and across the EU, because the levels of laboratory testing are an utter embarrassment. Does the Minister know the percentage of laboratory checks that are carried out? Would she like to hazard a guess? It is 1.7%. Is it the Minister's position that this is an acceptable amount of testing, especially considering all the recalls last year? To me, there is an air of secrecy about it all. Last year, 172 tonnes of beef came in from Brazil. When I asked where it went, the trade data did not even summarise the destination or the end user, so there is no record.”
“On Monday, the EU told Mercosur countries that the trade deal would be provisionally applied from 1 May. What engagements has the Minister had regarding the EU-Mercosur trade agreement? Has she told the Commissioner that forcing through this trade deal is not acceptable?”
“Three cent off the price of green diesel is not support; it is a slap in the face to farmers and fishermen across Ireland. The Government may as well have just told them to shut up and get on with it. These are the people who go out day in, day out to produce top-quality Irish food and to ensure we have food security and our shelves do not go empty. While the reduction will be welcomed by those in haulage, do not forget who produces the food to fill those trucks. Not using farm machinery or trawlers is not an option. Does the Minister expect ponies and traps and carts to be rolled out to cut down on the cost? Is that what he wants them to do? We have seen over and over from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that our farmers and fishermen are always an afterthought. The announcement yesterday is just the latest insult to them.”
“It has been nearly a month since Israel and its proxy, the United States, began their war on Iran. For the past month, people across Ireland have been hit with what can only be described as rip-off fuel prices. In some cases, Irish fuel prices have increased at eight times the rate of other EU states. It is only now, after nearly a month, that we have seen any action from the Government. To be frank, its measures are an embarrassment compared with the actions of other EU states. While the Government sat on the fence, it quietly cashed in at the expense of ordinary workers trying to get to work or the vulnerable trying to heat their homes. This is appalling conduct from the Government. Let us talk about the measures it announced yesterday.”
“In my father's case, he was quite sick and was housebound. Those who are housebound are some of the most vulnerable people. They need extra heating because they cannot move around like the rest of us. To say that I am absolutely disgusted by what has gone on here tonight is an understatement. The measly cut to home heating oil is a disgrace.”
“Some 61% of prostate cancer surgeries, 45% of breast cancer surgeries and 39% of lung cancer surgeries are not performed within the recommended timeframes. It is time that some of those in the Department did a bit of self-critique because the numbers do not lie. Patients are being failed in increasing numbers by poor management in the Minister's Department. As a result, we now have the third highest cancer mortality rate in western Europe. What is missing is a strong emphasis on prevention, early detection and proactive treatment to tackle the primary drivers of cancer. It is anticipated that cancer diagnoses will double by 2045 compared with 2015. With the European Commission so eager to import meat raised on banned cancer-linked drugs, the situation could become even more severe.”
“I strongly welcome this motion and commend Deputy Cullinane and his team on their latest health document, Enabling a New Cancer Strategy. It confirms what many of us have long suspected, that cancer services across Ireland have been slipping. The document sets out 42 recommendations for a new strategy, recommendations that would make a difference. We all know someone who has endured a cancer diagnosis. We have seen family and friends battle this disease. From my father to so many friends and family members, it has hit us hard over the years. What we know is that early detection is vital for effective treatment, but the numbers paint a stark picture. Breast cancer targets are missed by tens of thousands every year. Some 15% of chemotherapy patients and 23% of radiotherapy patients do not start treatment on time.”
“However, when it was the girls in Loreto Kilkenny who won their final, they did not have the same luxury of playing in Croke Park. Today as we pay tribute to the Irish women reaching for the stars, the likes of Jessie Buckley or Kilkenny’s own Mia Griffin, one of the first Irish women to take part in the Tour de France, let us reflect on what has been gained and the fights that have yet to be won.”
“As everyone here knows, the work that family carers do in communities across Ireland is vital. The pressure they take off our health service cannot be measured in words alone. In so many cases, it is the mother in a family who gives up her job to become a full-time carer, caring for the elderly or those living with disabilities, for loved ones who need support to live with dignity and independence. This work is nothing short of extraordinary, yet it remains largely invisible to those in Government. Let us not forget that it was for working women like SNAs and carers that International Women’s Day first came into being. It began as a day of action, a day to demand better working rights, conditions and as a day for those who too often are ignored. I congratulate St. Kieran’s College on its well-deserved win yesterday in Croke Park.”