Neale Richmond
Dublin Rathdown · Fine Gael · Ireland
“I am grateful to Deputy Ó Murchú for raising this once again. I welcome the comments by his party leader this week when she declared that this is a great State and a great place to live in. It makes a welcome change from most other days of the week.”
“Another thing that must be looked at when discussing a united Ireland is that a lot of work has to be done to show example from political representatives on the base level of sectarianism that at least two other colleagues on these benches and I put up with every day.”
“They could not decide among themselves in the "Yes" campaign whether they would have a new form of sterling or a currency pegged to sterling or adopt the euro. That is not an issue for us. We join the European Union and we join the euro. It is simple as.”
“I will make a few concluding remarks to follow on from some of the points made by the Taoiseach in his opening iteration because in his 20 minutes he did not cover them all.”
“Over the coming months, we will act impartially serving as an honest broker among our fellow member states to progress many files in areas that were raised here today. Our work will respond to the overall interests and needs of the union, its member states and citizens across Europe.”
“More pertinently to the Deputy's questions, very real charges have been placed in The Irish Times and by other investigative journalists stating that the amounts of alumina being produced from Aughinish are going indirectly to the Russian war machine. If that is the case, it is completely unacceptable.”
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“I thank Deputy Ó Fearghaíl for his supplementary contribution. For the information of the House, as the Minister with responsibility for defence, the Tánaiste is the custodian and guardian of the Curragh lands pursuant to the provisions of the Curragh of Kildare Act 1961. Under that Act, the Curragh Plains are recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces as well as being a place of historical and cultural importance. As I have already stated, the Tánaiste remains absolutely and fully committed to pursuing a modern and sustainable regulatory model in managing the historically important landscape that is the Curragh. The Curragh Plains conservation management plan, having been finalised and published in December 2024, is currently under consideration by officials in the Department of Defence.”
“On the Deputy's question as to the timeline, I cannot provide an exact timeline at the moment but it is a pressing need and the Minister for Defence intends to intervene.”
“This Government is committed to the implementation of these recommendations to address both the opportunities and the challenges, as can be seen by its inclusion in the programme for Government, which the Deputy alluded to. I appreciate his magnanimous reference to my colleague, Deputy Heydon, which is merited. However, it is also a reflection of Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's consistent advocacy in this area and the draft legislation he produced in 2015. I thank the Deputy again for raising this question and I assure him that it is the intention of the Tánaiste to ensure that the Curragh Plains are protected into the future as an important element of our shared heritage while we also ensure maximum benefit to the local population and those who come to visit.”
“The report also identified the need to consider a dedicated agency responsible for the Curragh or to assign responsibility for the site to an existing agency with the necessary expertise. Throughout the project, both the Department of Defence and Kildare County Council remained cognisant of the need to have in place a means of ensuring the conservation of this ancient landscape while also enabling the area to receive the recognition it deserves. The plan laid out opportunities through which the area can be uniquely identified and also scoped out the development potential of the area as a high-value visitor attraction. It also aims to balance the needs of the various users.”
“As the Deputy will be aware, for the past several years, the Department of Defence has been collaborating with Kildare County Council on the Curragh consultancy project, seeking to develop a suitable future management method and to highlight the importance and significance of the plains. The project came to completion in December 2024 when the Curragh Plains conservation management plan and the associated branding, interpretation and wayfinding strategy were published. The consultation process identified the need for a review of the Curragh by-laws and the Curragh of Kildare Act and potential amendments to provide effective solutions to the challenges faced.”
“This caused a great deal of disruption and anxiety for local stakeholders, as the Deputy has alluded to. The Department of Defence does not accept that those occupying these encampments have any right to reside on the Curragh Plains and, as such, has been engaged with the CSSO in anticipation of any potential trespassing to ensure that all legal steps are taken promptly to protect the plains. In the case of trespass or criminal damage, it is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána to police the situation. The Department of Defence has already engaged with An Garda on this issue. With a view to addressing these challenges in the longer term, as the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Defence is working to ensure that we move to a modern and sustainable regulatory model in managing this historically important landscape.”
“In addition, the plains are used by sheep owners who avail of rights of pasture on the lands and both locals and visitors to Kildare as a major natural amenity that I am sure we have all enjoyed at various times. By our measurement, the Curragh is 4,870 acres and it is one of the most open and accessible areas in the country. While I would not wish to see this level of accessibility diminished, as a public representative, I know the Deputy is acutely aware that this has presented a number of challenges for management, which he has laid out, in respect of illegal camping and also in respect of illegal dumping. It is not just the camping; there are other impacts. Many illegal encampments were set up over the course of the summer months of 2024.”
“I take this debate on behalf of the Tánaiste as his Minister of State. If it is appropriate, I will pay credit to the Deputy for his time in the Chair and for his mentoring and guidance of new TDs the first time they rose in a debate like this. My first Topical Issue was during the height of the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic. These are far more comfortable surroundings for those who will be making their first interventions. As State land vested in the Minister for Defence, the Curragh is recognised as a working environment for the State's Defence Forces as well as being a place of historical and cultural importance. The main occupiers are the Defence Forces at the Curragh Camp and the Curragh Racecourse, which leases a large tract of land.”
“I have absolute faith that, under the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste, we will deliver for the Irish people because that is our responsibility.”
“We also look at other jurisdictions, for example, at the Irish in Australia, who may be diaspora for six months, a year, two years or longer. Why are they going? As Deputy Gogarty alluded to, we must make sure we have a situation whereby they can come back. One of the last acts I was able to do as a Minister of State at the Department of Finance was to launch a new insurance company specifically targeting returning drivers who had not been able to get quotes for car insurance. We will make sure that there is recognition of driver licences and that records and insurance, including health insurance, are checked. I am excited for the role I have taken on. I am excited and undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead of the new Government.”
“The profile of the diaspora is changing. The profile of the 20-year-old Irish person who had to hop on a plane to America never to come back again has changed. Our diaspora is evolving; people are moving for many reasons. We know the public criticism that some people are going to some places and some people are making a choice. We look at the profile of the Irish-American diaspora in particular and how we have to evolve our strategy to make sure the focus is on so much more than it was before. The previous strategy has worked for us but we now need to maximise the potential of our diaspora in the United States to make sure that complements the work of Enterprise Ireland and the IDA and that we continue to increase our diplomatic presence and pursue our political ambitions when it comes to global issues and the plight of the undocumented.”
“Ireland is committed to an increased focus on Sudan. We all know a lot is happening in this world of ours at the moment. There is a lot of fear out there, a lot of danger and a lot of changing opinions in administrations across the world but now is not the time for Ireland to turn its back on the world. Now is the time for Ireland to increase. I wish to speak about the second part of my brief before handing over to Deputy Geoghegan, which is the work of our diaspora. This element was added to this portfolio by Enda Kenny as Taoiseach when he gave the first Minister of State position with responsibility for the diaspora to Jimmy Deenihan. It is clear that our diaspora strategy needs to be revamped. We have committed in the programme for Government to developing a new diaspora strategy. That work has already commenced.”
“We will continue our support in Ukraine to build peace, allowing the people of Ukraine to continue to live in their country despite the daily onslaught of the brutal Russian war regime. Ireland's contribution in overseas development aid is at one of its highest levels, at over €800 million a year in contributions. We are set to move ever closer to achieving 0.7%. Those of us who have been around will remember when we hit 0.7% before but that was when our economy was in such dire straits and the measurement of GNI was much different. We will see Ireland continue to contribute to the fund for loss and damage, a vital fund to support the global south, particularly as the ravages of climate change force them to change. Ireland will keep attention on the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan.”
“We are an outward-looking country. We are a small island but we are a small island at the heart of Europe and the centre of the world. That is not just a catchphrase; it simply has to be reflected in our actions and in the delivery of this programme for Government. A few of measures are very pertinent. Ireland to date has contributed more than €38 million to the work of UNRWA in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. This is important and vital. When other administrations were looking to cut funding or remove it, Ireland increased the level of funding and support we have given to the poor people of Palestine who have had a reign of terror fall on them for the last number of months.”
“We have a strong basis on which not only to address clear domestic challenges, from which no one is hiding, as I said, but equally to allow us to continue to play a role in the wider world. It is a huge honour to be reappointed as a Minister of State but it is a double honour to be appointed a Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for international development and our diaspora. I look forward to working closely with our Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, in making sure the services Irish people abroad, travelling abroad and, crucially, the reputation of this country abroad, are maintained to the highest possible level. We see this laced throughout the programme for Government, specifically in references from page 132 on in relation to Ireland's place in the world.”
“This is an Ireland people want to come to and they are extremely welcome here. They are welcome to play a full part not just in our economic growth or in terms of meeting the needs of our society but in their own personal development. They can be people fleeing war and persecution or coming here for many other reasons. That was not the Ireland in which many of us grew up. For may of us, the Ireland we grew up in was one you had to leave. Two weeks after I handed in my dissertation in university, I got on a plane to Brussels and did not know if I was ever going to come back simply because the financial crash was looming. That was the situation in which so many people found themselves.”
“We do not hide from the starkness when it comes to housing, disability services, assessment in our special schools or providing a transport system, as the Ceann Comhairle well knows, that is fit for purpose and for the evolving challenges that face our country, be they economic, societal or the clear challenges of the climate emergency. We face into those challenges in a strong position. We are one of the few European Union states that find themselves at this time with a continually growing economy, falling interest rates, effective full employment, a massive surplus and the ability to put money away in funds for more difficult times but also to invest more carefully in the infrastructure a growing state needs. The Ireland of today is very different to the Ireland of my youth.”
“In relation to the programme for Government, it is my clear belief that this is an ambitious programme for Government brought together by three entities - two political parties and a grouping of TDs - that can deliver for Ireland. We do so with our eyes wide open to the clear challenges that face our society and economy at the moment. I take on board the comments by other Deputies including Deputy Gogarty and the very clear requests and demands of the Government that are not just from him as an elected representative but of the people he represents in Dublin Mid-West, similar to Deputy Paul Lawless in Mayo and Deputy Martin Kenny in Sligo-Leitrim, and Donegal. He lost a bit of Roscommon but he has all the rest. The challenges are stark, which we know.”
“If it is agreeable, I will share time with Deputy Geoghegan - half and half. May I make a personal embarrassing comment to say how brilliant it is to share time with Deputy Geoghegan? We have been personal friends for more than 20 years. To be sitting on the same Government bench as him is really good and really cool. What is seldom is wonderful but as the Ceann Comhairle knows, we are all friends here, particularly when we disagree. That is the attitude but we will split time - eight and seven minutes. He may be a friend but he is not getting a minute more than me. I would like to touch on three points. The first is a more general point and then two points in respect of my new brief in the Department of Foreign Affairs.”
“For all of these reasons, the Government does not support the motion tabled by Sinn Féin and instead commends its countermotion to the House. In closing, I want to express my heartfelt hope that all phases of the ceasefire and hostage release deal will be fully and successfully implemented for the sake of ordinary Israeli and Palestinian people alike, those who we hold closest in our minds through all of these discussions. It is vital, however, that compliance with international law lies at the heart of all of our responses and it is also my very firm hope that the voice of the international community will be heard in its clear support for the two-state solution. I assure the House that Ireland will remain firm and vocal on these issues.”
“The Government has identified those and has identified that very serious work needs to occur to make this legislation legal, enforceable and actionable. We have to be quite clear that we want to operate in an environment that is upheld to be legal. It is not just about making the point, which is well made and which I empathise and do not disagree with, but we have to ensure that what is passed from a legislative point of view actually stands up to the rigours of European and international law. That is a clear point to debate that I would like to underline in the interest of being constructive rather than combative over what is overall an horrific issue. In parallel, I assure with the House that the Government will also continue to press for action at EU level in light of the advisory opinion.”
“We make no apology for progressing this in a measured and rigorous fashion. A number of points have been made by Opposition Members, as they are entitled to do, and I would like to respond to them. I am going to respond to Deputy Gogarty first because it was the final contribution and it was relatively fair and constructive. Like him, I also welcomed the re-election of my friend and colleague, Senator Frances Black, to the Upper House. We sat together in the Upper House and on the Brexit committee and we have worked together on a number of issues. I absolutely stick by the actuality of what the Government's position is, rather than what the claims of what that position that have been made across the Chamber and, indeed, in the media. The clear concerns of the Government as outlined in respect of this legislation remain.”
“The court also identified a range of legal obligations for all states arising from that situation. These include a duty not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory. While the ICJ's advisory opinion is not in itself legally binding, it represents an authoritative statement of applicable international law which is binding on all states and international organisations. For this reason, Ireland co-sponsored and voted in favour of the General Assembly resolution giving practical effect to the findings of the advisory opinion in September of last year. The programme for Government is clear in its commitment to progressing legislation to bolster its influence in the occupied Palestinian territories.”
“I regret that in approaching this issue it focused solely on the domestic landscape while neglecting the very clear role that Ireland has played in shaping the international legal landscape. Ireland strongly supported the request by the General Assembly for this advisory opinion in December 2022 and subsequently made submissions and shared its legal analysis in written and oral submissions to the court. Our core objective in making submissions was to encourage the court to clarify the rights of the Palestinian people in international law. The ICJ's advisory opinion did just that. The court's principal conclusion was that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories was unlawful and that it must be brought to an end as rapidly as possible.”
“The two-state solution is the only just and sustainable peaceful solution for both Palestinians and Israelis. The Government has also intensified Ireland's international engagement with our involvement in the important work of the new global alliance for the implementation of the two-state solution, which was launched during the UN High-level meeting in New York. We are committed to using all of the tools at our disposal, political, legal, diplomatic and humanitarian, to respond to the conflict and to work towards achieving these aims. It is important that we have taken the opportunity to reflect that the Government's overarching approach, which is clearly reflected in the countermotion tabled by the Government. I will, however, take a moment to return to the specific issue addressed in the Sinn Féin motion.”
“As the Tánaiste set out, against the backdrop of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, we are seeing a long overdue scaling up of humanitarian aid entering Gaza, yet, at the same time, the Israeli legislation on UNRWA has entered into force. This will have far-reaching consequences for UNRWA's operations in the West Bank including East Jerusalem and in Gaza. I want to reiterate the Government's deep concern at these actions by the Israeli Government and to underline that Ireland has been a long- standing supporter of UNRWA. We will continue to support its life saving mandate as well as building the capacity of the Palestinian state to respond. The Government is also working to build consensus at EU and at international level to support the implementation of a negotiated two-state solution and a lasting peace process.”
“Ireland has also provided three pallets of medical blood to the EU civil protection mechanism for the Egyptian health authorities. We have assisted in the medical evacuation of people from Gaza and we have sent officials and aid workers from Ireland to work directly in co-ordinating the response on the ground. In addition, funding has been provided to Irish NGOs, Plan International and Oxfam through the humanitarian acute crisis scheme. This, however, is not just about words but it is about actual tangible action that is responding to the absolute horrific unfolding crisis that we see in Gaza. Ireland is playing its part, is delivering and can and absolutely will do more. We are aware, however, that in the context of what is happening on the ground, for so many, that it is simply not enough, such is the scale of the atrocity.”
“The heinous and barbaric death toll has exceeded more than 47,000 people and the level of destruction from the conflict is so severe that the majority of people in Gaza require significant assistance in multiple areas. I am appalled by the destruction we have seen and I join with everyone in the condemnation of it. Overall, Ireland has provided more than €51 million in support of the Palestinian people since October 2023. This includes €38 million in core support to UNRWA, as well as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme and others. Our humanitarian response is not only about funding but is also about the direct delivery of practical supports and solution. In Ireland's rapid response initiative, 116 tonnes of relief supplies have been provided.”
“Support for the two-state solution and for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination lay at the heart of Ireland's recognition of Palestine in May of last year. I assure this House that it will remain at the heart of this Government's approach. Supporting the immediate humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and working with the Palestinian Authority to support its efforts to reform and build its institutional capacity are key pillars of the Government's response. The hostage release and ceasefire deal has led to a much needed increase in the volume of critical humanitarian assistance entering Gaza. However, the scale of need remains absolutely enormous.”
“I assure Deputies that this will remain a key priority for me as the newly appointed Minister of State with responsibility for this area in the Department of Foreign Affairs. As has been highlighted during the debate and in the countermotion tabled by the Government, we are at a particularly fragile and critical moment for this particular conflict. Like all others in this House, I welcome the agreement reached on the ceasefire and hostage release deal that has already led to the release of hostages. The immediate focus of the international community must be on the successful implementation of all phases of this agreement. It is also vital that we have a clear vision of how to forge a pathway between the so-called day after in Gaza and a sustainable peace based on the two-state solution.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this extremely timely and important debate. Before I speak to the motion, I commend the Deputies present who made their maiden speeches, particularly Deputy Gibney, with whom I share a constituency. I thank the Deputies for the heartfelt issues and genuine concerns raised by all Deputies. Regardless of whether they agree with the Government or what they think of it, we should all be able to join together in absolute condemnation of the violence and suffering in the Middle East. The priority the Irish public affords this issue has come through crystal clear in this debate. In that regard, I am proud of the role that Ireland's humanitarian and development assistance plays in making a real difference on the ground in Palestine.”