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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“We very much hope this offers a real opportunity for substantial growth in services and makes sure that fewer, and in due course hopefully no families, find themselves in the situation of the two families the Deputy has mentioned in County Kerry. In conclusion, the Minister is of course happy to continue working with the Deputy on an individual basis. She also wanted to express her real thanks to the Deputy for raising this issue on the floor of the Chamber.”
“As I stated, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is more than happy to work with the Deputy, the HSE and other partners, or any Deputy, to see where those outstanding issues could be solved. However, the Deputy has called rightly for an increased level of investment. That is why, with the five-year horizon out to 2030, the national development plan provides for an investment of €278 million, particularly in specialist disability services. Capital funding will also enable the refurbishment and development of modern respite centres and day service hubs. This focus will be through both the HSE and section 38 and 39 providers.”
“I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising these individual cases and making very relevant points on which there is no disagreement. The majority of families and individuals are catered for but unfortunately, there are far too many who are falling through the gaps and are not getting that discussion or peace of mind at an early enough stage. That is something the Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, are absolutely committed to working through. That is why we see that 20% increase in the disability budget that will be allocated for this year to the order of €3.9 billion. Included in that is €150 million to fund service expansion in residential and respite services. Beyond the individual care, and the Deputy has given very real examples, the real world examples can only be fed into what is required.”
“However, the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is more than happy to engage with the Deputy directly on the individual case he has raised to see where opportunities may be available in that regard. More broadly, she remains absolutely committed to improving services continually and will happily work with all Deputies from all parties and none to achieve that across the country.”
“HSE South West disability services are working with service providers to create new additional residential respite and alternative respite supports for adults in 2025-26. I have also corresponded with the Before We Die group, which I am due to meet in my own constituency late next week, based on the timetables available to the group. I appreciate the very difficult situation the Deputy has raised regarding the individual family. It is not unique but obviously, it is accentuated in a county as large as Kerry. Quite a lot has been done but we can all agree, without being partisan, not enough has been done. In many regards, not enough will ever be done.”
“The HSE anticipates that in the region of 500 more children and adults with a disability will receive respite sessions, both centre-based and alternative, within their community in 2026. Summer respite initiatives will also be supported, providing a diverse, flexible and person-centred and meaningful respite approach for individuals, children, families and carers throughout the country, including in Kerry. There are approximately 860 adults who avail of day services in Kerry, with services being delivered by 12 agencies across 51 locations. HSE South West disability services continues to invest in respite services, proactively seeking alternative respite models and utilising all available funding to provide respite services for adults who require them.”
“For the first time, budget 2026 also provides funding for new day service placements for the order of 50 older adults, providing support and choice for people later in life as their circumstances and wishes change. This might include, for example, people who acquire a disability later in life. Budget 2026 provides €25 million in new development funding for respite services, which has afforded the HSE the opportunity to plan for the expansion of services. The HSE national service plan 2026 targets the delivery of 10,000 additional respite overnight sessions and 25,000 additional respite day sessions this year. There will be particular focus on strengthening provision in areas that currently have a lower level of supports.”
“Discussions about this transition, including future living, activities and support needs, will often begin well in advance, in line with the goal setting for their individual family support plan, IFSP, as the focus shifts to preparing the young person for adulthood and accessing relevant adult services. The focus is on individualised planning and considering the young person's needs, preferences and goals for the future. I will very briefly go through some of the budgetary matters because it is important, but I am not going to dwell on them because I realise we are talking about individuals and people here, not numbers. As the Deputy is aware, budget 2026 provides funding for an additional 1,400 placements for a new cohort of school leavers from September 2026, as well as supporting the costs of those that started in September 2025.”
“In many instances, young people due to leave school at the end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June to ensure a natural transition into day services in September. To support a young person’s transition into adulthood, the HSE day opportunities team will work with the school, HSE services such as the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, the parent and the young person to explore options based on needs and the person’s preferences. Once he or she reaches 18 years of age, the young person will transition into adult services.”
“I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I am responding to on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins. Day services are a vital support for adults with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year who require a HSE-funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by the end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families.”
“There are countless examples of people who find themselves at 17, 18 or 19 years of age having to make very real decisions based on a very structured formal education situation in a way that the Deputy highlights as a real concern. There is a job of work to do both within the curriculum of existing subjects, acknowledging there is a lot of good stuff there on financial literacy, and seeing how that can be complemented to ensure it is accessible for everyone, whether they are studying the subjects laid out by the Deputy, doing the leaving certificate applied or will not stay in formal education after the age of 16. What we have is good, and we should not lose sight of that, but it absolutely needs to be complemented. The Deputy's suggestion could be the basis for feeding into an overall review as opposed to a specific measure.”
“It is a question of how to bring all of it together in terms of preparing students for the general life cycle and providing the life skills with which we would like to equip our young people to make decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, there is a very paternalistic attitude in this State that when students go through school, they should look to their parents for these types of supports, including when they are making financial decisions in relation to a SUSI grant, a loan for college or to get a car to do an apprenticeship. That is not the situation for everyone. Not everybody in school has a mum and dad. Not every student has a mum, dad or guardian who is able to contribute in that way. How can the State play a proactive and benevolent role at that basic level?”
“The Minister, Deputy Naughton, would like me to reaffirm very strongly that financial literacy is present throughout the school curriculum. I say that while also taking the Deputy's point about how we can look to bring the different aspects together in a more tangible and practical manner. There is the question of whether that should be done through a stand-alone subject of financial literacy or a stand-alone stream within the CSPE subject, for example, that is taken by all students in the junior cycle. How do we bring it into the national school curriculum without overburdening teachers while also making sure it is accessible? There is an element of it already there, largely through the mathematics provision.”
“However, as we all know, not every credit union has the resources to do that, not every school has a transition year and not every school with a transition year has that relationship with a credit union. An informal pilot scheme is ongoing that addresses a lot of the issues the Deputy has raised. My question to him, which would also be asked by the Minister, Deputy Naughton, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and probably the Tánaiste as well, is how we can mainstream that quasi-pilot scheme to address the very important issues we face.”
“I have rushed through that because I want to use my remaining time to focus on one aspect that is not directly used but one we might be able to lean into and one I would have had great experience of as Minister of State in the Department of Finance when working with the credit union movement, which is the heartbeat and the most trusted brand of so many communities. This is something that needs to be taken on a cross-departmental basis, and not only the Departments of education and finance, which is looking at the credit unions, in particular, as anchors. So many of the credit unions are active at transition year in secondary schools. It is they who are talking about saving for college, what sort of money might be needed for tools for an apprenticeship and those sorts of practical things.”
“The new specification for life, community and work, formerly the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, supports students in preparing for life beyond school. Through its two modules, me and my future and community and work, students learn how to make informed decisions as they plan for their future pathways. Beyond the formal curriculum, informal education also plays a significant role in developing students' financial literacy. The Department continues to work closely with a range of Departments, agencies and partners to support this work. Initiatives, such as maths week, money week, our money, our future and opportunities for students to connect with financial services providers in classroom learning help students build confidence in managing financial responsibilities both inside and outside school.”
“A transition year micro-module on financial literacy, developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, supports students in exploring their financial habits and understanding the importance of being financially informed. Within leaving certificate subjects, financial literacy continues to be strengthened. The revised leaving certificate business specification helps students understand how business connects to their own lives while building financial and business literacy. The draft specification for leaving certificate home economics includes family resource management, where students learn about consumer empowerment, decision-making and managing household finances. The redevelopment of the mathematics and accounting specifications will further enhance students' numeracy and financial literacy skills.”
“In the junior cycle, financial literacy is explicitly highlighted in statement of learning 14 of the framework for junior cycle, which focuses on students making informed financial decisions and developing strong consumer skills. The eight key skills of junior cycle, including being numerate, being literate, setting personal goals and making considered decisions, also contribute directly to financial literacy. Subjects, including mathematics, business studies, home economics as well as the ones mentioned by the Deputy, and the level 1 and level 2 learning programmes for students with general learning disabilities, provide structured opportunities for students to deepen their financial knowledge and skills. The redeveloped senior cycle, places a strong emphasis on key student competencies, including those linked to financial literacy.”
“At primary level, the primary curriculum framework of 2023 identifies seven key competencies, including being mathematical, which encourages children to apply mathematical thinking in real-world situations such as those the Deputy referred to. The redeveloped primary mathematics curriculum of 2023 strengthens this further by including money as a stand-alone strand unit. This allows children to gradually build their understanding of money, its value, its uses and how to work confidently with notes and coins in meaningful contexts. I was doing this with my own six-year-old just the other night, although I do not know if she will be using notes and coins in the way that I was when getting pocket money. However, that is a different story.”
“I am genuinely grateful to Deputy Dolan for raising this. It is even fortuitous that I get to give the response, albeit on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The response I have been given is a constructive one, and while I will give it, I might add to it. It is clear to the Department of education that financial literacy and opportunities to develop it are embedded throughout the Irish school curriculum from primary to junior cycle and into senior cycle. This commitment is reflected in the National Financial Literacy Strategy 2025-2029, as well as in Ireland's Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033, which emphasise the importance of supporting financial literacy across all stages of learning.”
“That is, obviously, always the optimum and the ideal, but there are always situations where children will need to go to specialist classes, even if it is not for the full duration of the two years. I am extremely grateful to the Deputy for raising this. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, stands ready to engage with him further on the point.”
“It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. This goes to the crucial point raised eloquently by the Deputy about the hardships that a long commute would put on certain families, especially in a constituency such as his own or that of the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Ó Murchú, or Deputy Daly, with such vast spaces. The notion of having to travel up to 45 km may be not something I or Deputy Devine would know in our constituencies but it is certainly something that would have a colossal impact and requires a level of attention. Central to providing that care and education, as I stated, are not only the 15,000 special education teachers but also, crucially, the 12,500 special need assistants.”
“The Deputy has raised the cases of just two families but I have no doubt there is an abundance in all our constituencies, particularly in his constituency of Galway West. The Minister of State stands ready to take a deputation meeting, if required. I encourage the Deputy to pursue that where possible.”
“In May 2021, the inspectorate was requested by the Department of education's special education section to evaluate provision in special classes for children and young people with an SLD, as referred to by the Deputy. The purpose of the evaluations was to examine the quality of provision for children and young people with an SLD, with particular reference to understanding the placement of children and young people in these classes and to identifying the strengths and areas for improvement in learning and teaching in these classes. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, has discussed this issue with the inspectorate, and will be engaging with it further, as well as with officials in the Department and with several organisations and advocacy groups.”
“This is provided on the basis of the individual student’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis or assessment of a particular disability. There are four schools dedicated to supporting students with specific learning disability, SLD. There are also fourteen SLD classes in eleven mainstream primary schools located across the country, in counties Dublin, Clare, Louth, Galway, Kerry and Wexford. These settings have a student-teacher ratio of 1:9 and are normally attended by students aged between eight and 12 years old for a maximum of two years. Students will have a diagnosis of dyslexia and score at the second percentile or lower on literacy standardised tests. They will also have an average or above average level of intelligence.”
“Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment, such as computers or software, to assist children with special educational needs, including children with a specific learning disability, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the National Council for Special Education through their local special educational needs officer for such support. It is important to note that the majority of students with literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in a mainstream class.”
“The Department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support children with special educational needs, including students with literacy difficulties. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their SETs have been published on the Department’s website. There are 15,000 special education teachers allocated to primary and post-primary schools to enable them to support children with special educational needs.”
“I am very grateful to the Deputy for raising this issue. I awkwardly have my back to him but we will do our best with the dynamics of the Chamber. I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. It is the policy of the Department of Education and Youth, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary. Indeed, I am married to a special education teacher, SET, and this is something I hear about daily.”
“If it is to be passed tomorrow night, and I sincerely hope it is passed by a majority in this Chamber, we can progress a legislative debate in the manner we have been able to achieve - a debate, I believe, on the most sensitive of topics on this island, carried out in a way that does not drag in unnecessary comparisons and which does not provide a campaigning platform for attack and negativity. At the end of the day, somewhere around the country at this moment is a 14- or 15-year-old girl who has been raped and is being faced with a very serious decision. She does not need politicians, particularly male politicians, using her as a political football. My appeal to the Chamber, whatever one's conscience is - and I respect it - is to please debate as if that young person is watching.”
“From a deeply personal point of view, this legislation is welcome and I will, of course, support it but I think we all know - those of us who believe in this - that we can do more and we have a responsibility to do more. That will not come from a party-political decision, and there will be opposition to that which is healthy and democratic. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has stated she will also support this legislation, as will the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. The decision taken by any other Member on the Government benches, whether they are a ministerial officeholder or other, is for them. I have laid out my very clear opinion, which I think can be respected by the Chamber, and we can continue this debate.”
“The strides made by us in our constitutional decisions in recent years are something that go above and beyond politics. The tenor of those debates, going back to the citizens' assembly, the debates in the Seanad and at the eighth amendment committee, chaired by my dear friend and then Seanad colleague, Catherine Noone, were reflective of a better Ireland than the Ireland that voted when I was an infant in my mum's arms to insert the eighth amendment into the Constitution. Regardless of what everyone feels about the issue, and I fundamentally respect that, they were not good debates and not good politics. It created a system of othering that none of us can stand over, whether we believe in the decision to legislatively pursue removing the three-day wait or not.”
“That is something I will continue to do in my work as Minister of State with responsibility for international development in a situation where an arbitrary culture war being waged somewhere else has seen maternal health in the poorest countries in the world drop to some of the worst levels seen. We are living in a time when HIV-AIDS infection rates, after 25 years of reducing, are now rising again. That is fundamentally due to political decisions. AIDS rates are going up, malaria rates are going up and the level of infant mortality is rising because of political decisions. It is in the context of my work in international development that I want to ensure Ireland continues to be a safe and progressive place to be a woman, first and foremost, and everything that goes with that.”
“The people gathered came from more than 100 different countries around the world where they have seen clear legislative backsliding, not just in areas like this but more generally when it comes to gender equality, the rights of women and the rights of minorities, including those of minority faiths. They see real political and administrative pressure being put on their livelihoods. They came to Dublin because they know it is a safe place to have their conference and have a discussion, where people can disagree with them but not persecute them. I am delighted the Government is now in a position to support the federation. I signed off last night on a doubling of our funding to it.”
“As Deputy Coppinger rightly said, the proposals in this Bill were brought about by a grassroots campaign. I know what it was like to be the sole Fine Gael Member who voted for legislation on this issue in the previous Dáil. In 2014, in a local authority vote, the three people who voted in favour were the two People Before Profit councillors and me. There is a divergence of views on this issue that does not align with a narrow political division. We must respect that people reflect on it deeply and come at it from a very personal point of view. Last night, I had the distinct honour of addressing the annual general conference of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which was held in Dublin. An event like that being held here would have been completely unthinkable not so long ago.”
“The Government will not oppose the legislation because it has declared a conscience vote for Deputies from both parties in government and the group of Independent Deputies who support it. In that context, it is important to set out my own personal view. I would have been supportive of the Bill introduced a couple of weeks ago by the Social Democrats. I was the sole Fine Gael Member to vote for the Bill brought forward by People Before Profit in the previous Dáil. I am absolutely consistent on this and, as such, I am supportive of the Bill before us and very grateful to the Sinn Féin Party for putting it forward. That is not the case for some other members of my party and some others of my fellow party TDs. They are empowered to make a decision on the Bill in their own right.”
“It is my fundamental belief that what we voted on in 2018 - I campaigned on one side and some of the Deputies here campaigned on the other side; that is politics - was the decision to repeal the eighth amendment from our Constitution and to provide for termination of pregnancy services as a legislative matter. That is the core issue on which we voted. There were many other aspects of the campaign and I completely take Deputy Tóibín's points in that regard and those eloquently made by Deputies Nolan and Michael Healy-Rae. Fundamentally, however, the decision was taken by the Irish people to empower the democratically elected Members of the Oireachtas to legislate on these matters, as is done in jurisdictions around the world. That was the fundamental decision and it is the basis on which we approach the debate this evening.”
“All of those recommendations are being taken on their merit. I understand why there is some frustration. On Deputy Tóibín's point, I say sincerely that I have no interest in engaging in any politicking on this matter. I do not want this to become a political debate about the substance of the issue, regardless of people's stance on it and their deeply held personal convictions. We can all agree that the views expressed are all deeply personally held convictions. A person's stance on this issue is not one to which any of us has come lightly.”
“Deputies Sherlock and O'Gorman called for wider political co-operation to expedite the progress of the legislation. It is my understanding that the Minister has engaged in an element of consultation with the service providers and with politicians of all shades. She will continue that. The vote on this Bill tomorrow evening will decide at what rate that proceeds. This is not a straightforward process. Regardless of where people stand on the issue, we all know that any legislation that comes from this may be quite different from what we now envisage. It must be implemented in a practical way. Deputy Coppinger made clear her view that the full recommendations of the O'Shea report should be put in place. There is a multitude of recommendations, as has been detailed in some depth from a legal point of view by Deputy Geoghegan.”
“The cumulative effect of all these measures is to substantially reduce barriers and increase access to services for those who need them. The feedback received directly from clinicians indicates that the service is working well. This is particularly significant if we take account of the fact it is a relatively new service that has been built up from the ground. There is a broad range of sincerely held and articulately expressed views on termination of pregnancy and the removal of the three-day wait. In the interests of being helpful, I will briefly address some of the points raised while I have been in the Chamber. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, will, of course, continue to engage with Deputies from across the House on this issue.”
“The revised model of care introduced in response to the Covid pandemic is now approved as the enduring model of care. Under that blended approach, it is possible for one of the two consultations required for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. As outlined earlier by the Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, this alleviates some of the difficulty that may be associated with the mandatory three-day waiting period in that it reduces the time and expense involved in travelling to the doctor's surgery twice. It also improves access for many women and addresses geographical and logistical barriers. Safe access zones legislation came into effect on 17 October 2024 under the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Act.”
“It is a vitally important development that we are able, in 2026, to have what I would say has been a relatively civil and constructive debate in this Chamber in which we disagree with each other agreeably and respect fundamentally the right of all Deputies in the House to have their own personal or political party opinion and their own approach to this issue. The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring there is safe and equitable access to termination of pregnancy services. In that respect, it is worth acknowledging the substantial progress that has been made to date. Termination services in early pregnancy are now provided in all 19 maternity hospitals. There also has been a sustained increase in community providers, with their number currently standing at 492.”
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to respond to this debate on behalf of my friend and colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I sincerely thank all who contributed, both those who I agree with and, in particular, those with whom I do not agree. For the entirety of my life, disagreement on this issue has sometimes led to the worst scenes in politics, where party politics, personal ambition and personal focus from across the spectrum have, unfortunately, really diminished the level of debate and taken the political discourse into a place where the heart of the issue we are talking about has been moved into the abstract.”
“The requirements imposed by both the directive and the regulation, as well as legal advices obtained by the Office of the Attorney General, limit what can be accommodated. However, the Minister, and the Government more widely, can ensure Deputies that progression of the Bill will send a positive signal to the Commission and member states that, as we take up the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we recognise Ireland’s importance in ensuring the success of the EU e-evidence initiative and its objective.”
“The inclusion of the provision for an adjudication officer, in line with advice from the Office of the Attorney General, ensures that fair procedures with regard to the assessment of the validity or degree of fines imposed will be in place. I advise Deputies that the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, intends to speedily progress this Bill through the Houses, thus ensuring that Ireland is ready for the launch of the e-evidence regime on 18 August 2026. Committee Stage has already been arranged and the Minister looks forward to actively engaging with Deputies on the details of this Bill. While the Minister is prepared to consider suggested amendments, he advises Deputies that there is likely to be limited scope for their acceptance.”
“This is not a small undertaking and it will require co-operation between service providers and judicial authorities alike. Service providers have dual obligations. They are both gatekeepers for their customers’ data and, potentially, if unwittingly, holders of information that may be crucial to criminal investigations. The various processes, procedures and safeguards outlined in both the e-evidence directive and regulation, together with those contained in the Bill, provide the means by which the director and the office will weigh these potentially competing interests. While the Government expects compliance from service providers, the Bill also provides for the imposition of potentially significant penalties for non-compliance with the requirements of either the directive or the regulation.”
“By investing in this office and centralising these responsibilities, we can ensure that Ireland speaks with one clear, expert voice in the EU and global regulatory forums. Ireland’s position as a technology hub for many of the larger service providers in the EU means the regulatory model we adopt will have significance beyond our shores. As a result, the office and its director established by this legislation will play an important role in the modernisation of evidence-gathering for criminal justice investigations throughout the European Union. The director and the office will have the critical task of ensuring service providers comply with lawful requests and that fundamental rights, data protection and privacy rights are upheld.”
“However, the benefits of technology to our citizens can also prove beneficial to those who wish to cause harm or profit from crime. Fortunately, the usage of technological services can be logged and tracked, providing an avenue for the detection and prosecution of crime both within the State and across the European Union. I commend service providers for their active engagement on the implementation of the EU e-evidence package and their recognition that they can play an important role in addressing criminal activity. The office that will be established under this Bill will be a central hub for digital and judicial co-operation and will bring coherence, efficiency and expertise, enhancing Ireland’s role in the international judicial co-operation space.”
“I am glad to take the close of this Second Stage debate on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan. I acknowledge with great thanks the engagement shown by all those present, particularly Deputies Mark Ward and Carol Nolan, in relation to today’s discussion on what is an extremely important Bill. The significance of Ireland’s active engagement in the EU’s e-evidence initiative, particularly as we progress towards Ireland’s looming Presidency of the Council of the European Union, is substantial. Ireland’s success in attracting industry at the forefront of technological innovation carries significant associated responsibilities. The nature of the services provided within the State by service providers has had many positive benefits for citizens across the European Union.”
“Our actions, or the inaction of our partners, have very real consequences that we will be dealing with for years to come.”
“Our support to Irish Aid partner organisations including GOAL, Trócaire and Concern has enabled life-saving assistance to reach the most vulnerable communities, and we work consistently with the UN Refugee Agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Chad, Sudan and South Sudan. Ireland will continue to be a trusted partner. When we see development budgets being slashed by other member states it has a very real consequence. We have famine in Sudan due to the conflict there, but due to the cuts in aid and development it is harder to get a humanitarian response to starving children. We see an ebola outbreak in the DRC that is spreading in a virulent manner that is being affected by health systems that have been absolutely destroyed due to aid cuts.”