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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“We are in the midst of a housing crisis that is worsening month by month. It is the actions of this Government, its refusal to listen to experts and its insistence that the market will provide that has accelerated this crisis so rapidly. All we see from this Government is its head in the sand as it refuses to admit the market has failed. These actions have failed rural Ireland so severely on housing. I look across my home county of Kilkenny where the Government’s failure to invest in modern, fit-for-purpose water and sewage facilities has ensured that large banks of land prime for building are left unusable. Bennettsbridge is the next town to see service upgrades but these works are not planned to start until 2029.”
“It is important we say to all the young carers in the Public Gallery and to the carers tuning in to the television in their homes that we see them. We see the invaluable work they do and we will not be silenced on this. We will fight to ensure that they get the respect and the supports they are so worthy of.”
“As someone who has worked with adults with disabilities for 18 years as a carer, I have always been proud of the recognition and respect Sinn Féin has shown to the work of carers in our community. The Sinn Féin charter for carers clearly sets out the value and respect we have for carers and their significant role in society. We would not rest on our laurels. We will not be stalling and delaying reports like the interdepartmental report which has been delayed since March 2024. It is now time to act and publish the report,. The inaction on the part of the Minister and her colleagues in government is not only a failure, it is also just sloppy work. It is straight up cruel on the thousands of carers across this State.”
“Scrapping the carer’s means test and ending the unfair injustice and cruel financial punishment should have been a clear-cut action from day one by this Government. Carers make personal sacrifices every day, be it in terms of their income or their own well-being, in order to care for loved ones. A recent report found that 72% of carers never receive respite. Therefore, some 72% of carers do not receive significant formal support, while nearly 70% of carers are struggling to make ends meet. This is an absolute disgrace and a shame on Government parties for standing idly by. These carers deserve respect and dignity. The work they do saves the State €20 billion each year, but 76% of them are left battling severe loneliness and are abandoned by the State.”
“I strongly welcome this motion. Earlier today in the audiovisual room, a group of young family carers gave a powerful description of the work they do and the impact the lack of supports - and the utter lack of State support - is having. Carers are the backbone of our society. They are the quiet, everyday heroes who give everything to care for loved ones. The respect and high regard that carers are held in by the public was crystal clear to see in the run-up to the general election. While every party and group pledged to support carers and scrap the means test, sadly, as is the way with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, that commitment appears to be just another broken election promise. We have seen no details, timelines or plans from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but, rather, just empty words. This leaves carers to struggle on in uncertainty.”
“How many more years will communities across Kilkenny and Carlow be left behind because of the incompetence of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael?”
“A generation is being locked out of home ownership and at this rate my grandchildren's generation will not even stand a chance. How has this Government constantly failed to plan for the future needs of towns and villages across rural Ireland? No wonder this Government missed its housing targets. Some 10,000 fewer homes were built than were promised last year. How many more thousands will it be this year? How many more times will the public be misled on housing targets and reports, all the while the public are losing hope that the current Government has any interest in solving the housing crisis? On St. Patrick's Day, I was honoured to walk in the parade with the Good Shepherd Centre Kilkenny, which provide services for women, men and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”
“Sewage and water treatment facilities are also a fundamental requirement of expanding communities and building new homes. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, in their wisdom, did not see fit to provide the necessary investment in the upgrading of facilities across Kilkenny and Carlow. As a result, many prime sites for building are left untouched, with building homes around most towns in Kilkenny no longer an option, leaving towns and communities paralysed in terms of any potential to grow and expand. Bennettsbridge is the next town due to see the upgrade of services and these works are not planned to start until 2029. Until these works are completed, communities in south Kilkenny like my own village of Knocktopher, Ballyhale and Mullinavat will see no new developments being built.”
“The ordinary people of counties Carlow and Kilkenny are paying the price of the failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Month after month, the housing crisis deepens. Average rents in Carlow and Kilkenny are almost €1,600 a month, which is a staggering burden for workers and families. Scores of people want to build or buy their own home across Kilkenny. They have worked hard and saved up but because of the failures of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, they have been denied that opportunity. These workers and families are being locked indefinitely into paying ridiculous rents and are denied the security of a home of their own because of the Government's actions. As most people know, basic infrastructure such as sewage and water treatment are fundamental in the provision of communities.”
“We need to see meaningful action that will bring positive change. This International Women's Day, let us raise our voices as a society to say we value carers as an essential part of our society and we demand they are given the support and respect of which they are so deserving. I commend my own mother, who looked after my father, and was a carer for a number of years. Their role is vital and we could not do this without them. They need to be recognised.”
“Tragically, since the Covid pandemic, isolation has deepened and women report higher levels of severe loneliness. These findings are not just statistics; they are the lived experience of female carers across Ireland. These women sacrifice careers, economic security and well-being to care for loved ones. This toll is immense. Financially, they depend on partners due to the outdated and harsh means test for carers allowance, they see reduced workforce participation and the erosion of their social lives. This is not a choice but a societal expectation that entrenches gender inequality. It is time for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to stop paying lip service to carers.”
“On Saturday, we mark International Women's Day. We celebrate the resilience, strength and the invaluable contributions women make every day in Irish society but we must also confront the inequalities that persist in our society. I raise in particular the immense role women across Ireland contribute as carers for those in need. We all recognise that carers are the backbone and support for so many in need in communities across Ireland. We must recognise and acknowledge, however, it is women who form the majority of carers across Ireland. We are more likely to be primary care givers and spend significantly more hours each week in unpaid roles. Women carers are also more than likely to live in lone parent households, struggling financially, all while balancing care with employment.”
“They require thriving communities. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil pour taxpayers' money into private outsourcing. We will cut this waste and invest in services that deliver. Let us be clear. Every cancelled appointment, every patient on a trolley and every life lost to a treatable illness is an outcome of this Government's failures.”
“Our home first policy will invest in homecare packages, rehabilitation services and local health hubs. We will train more GPs, especially in rural areas, and expand community nursing. This is not just compassion: this is cost-effective. Keeping people healthy at home eases the pressure on overwhelmed hospitals. Fine Gael's reliance on outsourcing and mismanagement has wasted millions of euro. We will direct this funding into front-line staff, modern equipment and digital systems to cut waiting times and improve accountability. Our safer staffing initiative will ensure hospitals have the nurses and doctors needed to provide safe and timely care. Sinn Féin will take a whole-of-government approach, linking health policy to education, infrastructure and climate action. Healthy lives require more than hospitals.”
“Chronic diseases, like cancer, heart disease and respiratory conditions, account for most deaths in Ireland. These are often preventable. Sinn Féin would invest in community health, sporting supports, housing and clean environments to tackle the root causes of poor health. We would expand screening programmes and empower pharmacies to deliver pharmacy-first care, thereby reducing the strain on GPs and hospitals. We will bring care closer to home. Too many older people end up in hospitals because they cannot access basic sports. Those admitted to hospital often see their discharge times greatly delayed as there is a complete and utter lack of space in step-down care facilities. Delayed discharges are adding more and more pressure to services already operating on the edge.”
“This was 5,000 more than the same month last year. This is not just a crisis, but the result of political neglect. Fine Gael wants to blame these failures on an ageing population. Let us be clear, however, that the problem is not our older people but a Government that refuses to plan ahead. It underfunded the national cancer strategy, leaving a €180-million hole in vital services. A stroke strategy was published, but then starved it of the resources required, putting lives at risk. This inaction has turned our hospitals into pressure cookers, with soaring budgets and unsafe conditions. It does not, though, have to be this way. Sinn Féin has a plan to future-proof healthcare. Our vision is simple: prevention, proximity and people-first reform. We must prevent illnesses before they start.”
“We are debating an issue that touches every family and community across Ireland, which is the future of healthcare for our ageing population. This is far more than just a policy discussion. It is about ensuring dignity, safety and quality of life for our parents, grandparents and, one day, ourselves. The facts are clear. By 2030, more than 1 million people in Ireland will be aged 65 or older. By 2057, this number could nearly double. This demographic shift is not a surprise. It is a foreseeable challenge, yet for over a decade Fine Gael has failed to prepare. Instead of building a resilient health service, it has allowed hospitals to crumble under the pressure. Last January, a record 13,972 people were left on trolleys or chairs in overcrowded accident and emergency departments. More than 28,000 hospital appointments were cancelled.”
“I want our sons to want to stay in farming but with the income of suckler farms dropping year after year while costs continue to rise, my hopes are dwindling. We need to address the fact we are haemorrhaging farmers. On average, 1,400 farmers leave farming each year. One third of farmers are over 65. One of our biggest industries is teetering on a demographic cliff. Farmers across the State cannot sit and wait for the EU's new vision of agriculture and food to be teased out. Ireland needs to step up and become a driving force in delivering sustainable and secure farming. We need to lead the way in incentivising young men and women to continue farming and working on family farms.”
“The average income of farmers in Ireland is €19,000 per year, while the average for a suckler farmer is already rock bottom at €7,400. How low will their income drop when this beef starts appearing on shelves across the EU? We are here to speak on the importance of agrifood to the economy but last week Fine Gael's MEPs abstained on a motion on risks related to importing goods produced with banned pesticides and GMOs as part of Mercosur. Putting out statements on the risk of Mercosur is all well and good but abstaining on that key vote was a slap in the face to Irish farmers and the communities who support them, and to the promises on Mercosur. My husband and I are raising our four sons on a family farm in Kilkenny. I want to see our family farm passed on to the next generation.”
“For generations, agriculture has been the heartbeat of Ireland's economy, culture and rural identity. Today, over 170,000 people are employed across the sector. That number shows the agrifood sector is the backbone of communities across the State. Many of my family members, neighbours and friends are part of that 170,000-strong workforce that contributes to the strength of Irish agriculture. We must face the reality that Irish farming stands at a crossroads. There are external threats breathing down the necks of farmers across the State. As someone whose family runs a suckler farm, it is crystal clear to me that time and again the suckler farmer is getting the short end of the stick. The Mercosur free trade deal will see up to 99,000 tonnes of beef imported from the likes of Brazil and Argentina.”
“Where parents do find a place, they are told they cannot avail of it because they do not live within the school's catchment area. In Kilkenny, some families are dropping some of their children to the local school and then driving as far as Waterford to drop off their children with additional needs to a school with ASD places. A child's education should be provided for in their community, first and foremost, and they should not be forced to travel so far simply to attend a school with an appropriate facility. It is pulling apart the social fabric of communities. We need to face special education with drive and ambition because with anything less, families will continue to struggle and children across the State will be left behind.”
“Early intervention can dramatically improve the social, academic and emotional outcomes for children with additional needs. This crisis has not appeared out of nowhere. It is a clear consequence of decades of underinvestment and poor planning by successive Governments. Year after year, demand for special education has grown but we are left with a disjointed system and poor co-ordination between the Department of Education, the NCSE and schools. No family should be left facing the beginning of the school term without a guaranteed place that can provide the correct support for their child. Parents of children with additional needs in Carlow are, sadly, facing that situation. There is an utter lack of space in autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units in schools across Carlow.”
“Every child has a fundamental right to education. It is a right that all children should enjoy equally. We must, however, face the reality that in Ireland in 2025, it is not the case. Some of the most vulnerable children in Irish society are being left behind. Parents are left waiting years for an assessment and are left battling to find a school that can provide the correct resources for their children. That simply should not be acceptable but has become the norm across the State. The Government needs to face the fact that under the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, children with additional needs are being left behind. Their parents are pushed to breaking point. Early intervention is crucial to allow a child to reach his or her full potential and to prepare for life.”
“The position of communities right across the State is clear when it comes to the Mercosur trade deal. It will be bad for Irish farming, it will be bad for the environment and it will be bad for people's health. Last week in the European Parliament we had a clear opportunity to show Irish MEPs are united in our opposition to the deal. Brazil and Argentina are the world's top GMO and pesticide users. This includes GMOs and pesticides that have been banned in the EU for health reasons. The motion highlighted concerns over the use of GMOs and pesticides. Fine Gael MEPs failed to support the motion while Fianna Fáil MEPs could not work out if they were for it or opposed to it. We have constantly heard Fianna Fáil claiming it will oppose the Mercosur trade deal. Why was that not the case last week in the European Parliament?”
“The track record of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and their priorities has left rural Ireland behind time and time again. Rural infrastructure and the N25 need to be treated as a priority. Communities across Ireland must be shown the respect they deserve, not left waiting indefinitely for safety measures to be put in place. The clock is ticking. We need to see action before another family's life is shattered.”
“I also raised it with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, but received no response. I raised it with the Minister's office, only to be told it was referred on to TII. This cannot be a game of pass the parcel. Every delay and deflection risks more lives. These deaths must not be reduced to statistics on a Government spreadsheet. We need a clear plan with deadlines set in stone, not vague promises of reviews with no timelines. We urgently need safety measures to be implemented at the Rhu Glenn Hotel, and other blackspots across Carlow and Kilkenny. I sincerely hope the Minister's track record as the Minister for housing will not be mirrored in the Department of Transport because his legacy at the former Department was far from inspiring.”
“In 2024 alone, 174 lives were lost on Irish roads. Behind every number is a name, a family shattered and a community left grieving. There are few families across the country that have not been left devastated by the grief of losing someone to a road traffic collision. The location of the Rhu Glenn Hotel on the N25 near my home in Kilkenny is one such blackspot. Time and again it has been the site of horrific collisions. Just after Christmas, a local woman's life was tragically cut short there. Her family, friends and neighbours are now left to grapple with the loss. I send my sincere condolence to them all. The community has pleaded repeatedly for urgent safety upgrades, yet progress crawls at a snail's pace. I raised this issue with the county council, which acknowledged the road's deadly history, but offered no timeline for action.”
“I want family farms to be passed on to the next generation of young farmers. I want children to continue the tradition of family farming, knowing their futures in farming are secure. We need to ensure that Irish farming is in a stronger and more vibrant and resilient environment than the one with which we are currently battling.”
“We all recognise that there is a group of forgotten farmers who deserve to be compensated, but the Government only offers vague assurances to them, with no clear plan for compensation. These farmers deserve to be shown respect and not more delays. The Mercosur trade deal poses the gravest threat to Irish farmers in a generation. In the programme for Government, we see only lukewarm opposition to the deal. We need to see a complete and utter rejection of the Mercosur deal by the Government. Sinn Féin is utterly opposed to the Mercosur trade deal. It offers nothing positive for Ireland and will have a devastating impact on farmers and communities across rural Ireland. As a mother raising four young boys on a family farm, I want to see a future where Irish farming is flourishing.”
“As a person who lives on a family farm, I am more than familiar with the struggles that farmers across Ireland are facing. Farming is at the centre of every community across Carlow and Kilkenny. As the recent storms and heavy snowfall showed us, farmers and communities in rural Ireland always step to the fore in supporting one another in times of need and difficulty. The programme for Government was an opportunity to give Irish farmers the support they deserved. Once again, however, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael failed to stand up for farmers across the State. The section on agriculture is riddled with hollow promises. Words like "review" and "examine" dominate the text, but where is the substance? Where are the concrete commitments to protect farm incomes, ensure fair prices or invest in a sustainable future?”
“Will the Taoiseach’s Department commit to a concrete plan that will include transitioning to a public funding model? Parents cannot endure another year of stopgap solutions. We need to see real plans for the sector put into action. When will the Government prioritise building capacity in the sector, ensuring professionals, operators and families receive the support they deserve?”
“As this is also my first time speaking in the Chamber, I would like to thank the people of Carlow and Kilkenny for putting their faith in me. I will leave no stone unturned. To my family, especially my parents and husband, and to my friends and activists, I am extremely grateful. Thank you. Across Carlow and Kilkenny, parents are struggling to find adequate childcare places. The sudden announcement of the closure of a school servicing Castlecomer has left parents without vital childcare. In Kilkenny city, another provider has announced it is ending its after-school services due to staffing issues. Parents are left in the difficult position of scrambling for limited alternatives. The programme for Government has offered mere lip service to childcare.”