Nessa Cosgrove
Labour Panel · Labour Party · Ireland
“The Minister of State recognised that there was a grassroots movement and the documentary "Groundswell" captured it. There is also the documentary "Gasland", which was made in America and came out in 2010. We know it is going to come from America. Again, this is the Trojan horse.”
“The amendment defines "fracked gas", which does not appear anywhere in the Bill. This, with amendment No. 13, would make clear that the importation of fracked gas would not be possible under the Bill. LNG particularly when sourced in the US, is usually derived from fracking.”
“I move amendment No. 3: In page 8, after line 39, to insert the following: " "hydraulically fractured gas" means liquefied natural gas, or natural gas in any other form, that has been produced, in whole or in part, by means of hydraulic fracturing within the meaning of section 5A of the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development Act 1960;".…”
“I am sorry but I just do not buy the argument that it is security. A floating LNG storage facility in Qatar was blown up. It is actually more of a risk to our security to have a floating LNG terminal. This whole thing is mad.”
“All of us were probably at the IFA briefing yesterday. When they gave us the briefing document I saw that it was exactly the same as the one last year and I wondered whether it had got anything it looked for. I was told not really, apart perhaps with regard to areas of natural constraint.”
“Historians, no doubt, are going to refer to this legislation in that way, because the reserve is not going to be used solely for emergencies. We are trying to define what an emergency is. There is no definition. Seven years ago, we led the way in the international community by committing to phase out oil and gas exploration.”
The complete record
Every one of 951 lines we hold for Nessa Cosgrove, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 14 of 20.
“This is to say nothing of the savings that could be made in mental health services and cardiac care, as well as the improvements in productivity and the overall well-being of the population, if we invested more in sports. There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and there is research to back this up. When we spend on preventative measures, such as encouraging people to participate in sport, we automatically make savings in the health budget. Sport, when delivered well locally, fosters a sense of community, belonging and cohesion and encourages inclusion. I am grateful for the volunteers in my own community. I have three teenage children and being involved in sport has definitely kept them out of trouble.”
“In sports like athletics, running, boxing, equestrian, surfing, gymnastics, hockey and sailing - I could go on and on - we have consistently produced world champions and key members of world-beating teams. While our elite sportspeople are those who grab international headlines, sport is very much a community enterprise and has a positive impact upon all sectors of society, from young children attending nursery sessions to older people engaging in sports or performing key roles in committees and clubs. Sport in Ireland is an expression of community. It is good for both our physical and mental health. It is good value for the nation's wealth. We spend between €1.1 billion and €1.5 billion annually on combatting obesity.”
“We have all said it here today that sport is at the heart of every community in Ireland, both rural and urban. There is a GAA club with a presence in nearly every parish on our island of Ireland, as well as in the UK, Europe, the Americas, Africa, Australasia, Asia and every continent of the world inhabited by humans where there are people who have Irish roots or identify with their Irish roots. This shows the intrinsic value we place on sport as an expression not just of our nationhood but also as of our identity as humans. As well as our aptitude for our Gaelic games, we currently are or have historically exceeded expectations in many global sports for a country of our size.”
“I want to express the hope that the Leader can bring this back to the Minister for Health so that we can resume this debate in September.”
“I was really relieved that the doctor was able to confirm that my breasts were clear of cancer and because I had had the follow-up appointment and the ultrasound, I had absolute faith in her diagnosis. This is how it should be. If there is any doubt arising from a mammogram, it should be followed up. This is what has not been done in the past. It is just wrong. Marian Cullen [who I have spoken about here in the Seanad before] whose daughter Martha has shown such commitment to raising this issue, was a friend of mine and her loss should never have happened. I would like to thank you and your fellow Senators for bringing the matter of breast density to national attention and hope that the follow-up investigations that I receive are now becoming standard throughout the country. That letter speaks for itself.”
“About two weeks after the mammogram, I received a letter from BreastCheck saying that they wished me to come to their clinic in Galway for further investigation. The letter arrived on a Monday and the appointment was on the Friday, so I had only one week of worrying. I arrived at the BreastCheck clinic in Galway where incidentally there was free parking for women to attend in the clinic. I was then told by a very nice doctor that they needed to rescan one breast. I was taken straight in for another mammogram with a different machine to the one in Sligo and this was followed up immediately with an ultrasound using the same kind of equipment used in a pregnancy ultrasound.”
“I also want to offer my support to my colleagues on the motion on Gaza. I commend Senator McDowell on bringing it forward. I have spoken a lot here over the last couple of months about breast density. During the week, I received the following communication from a constituent, which I will read out: Dear Nessa, I am a 51-year-old woman who was recently called for my first mammogram, which took place in Sligo. I had heard you speaking on Ocean FM about breast density and so I asked a professional operating the machine do I have breast density? She said that she did not know but that the doctor would tell me. At the time, I did not think anything about it. It did not occur to me that there was no doctor on site.”
“They were looking for a full public awareness campaign and that local authorities would be resourced to put up these signs. The HSE has the posters available for download, but is there any way coming up to the budget that the local authorities could be encouraged that part of the budget will be to resource staff to put these up?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. Could I get a commitment that all local authorities will be obliged to put up signs? Some have. Kilkenny County Council is bringing it onstream as well. The long-term side-effects are so detrimental and it is something that can be prevented with a bit of awareness. For example, there are signs in Cork. There is a Lyme Resource Centre. There are two QR code on the signs. People can scan one of the QR codes with their phone and that will bring them straight to the HSE information site. The other QR code will bring them straight to the Lyme Resource Centre. At our meeting - we have this cross-party Oireachtas group - many Lyme sufferers from all around the country came up. Their stories are harrowing.”
“Could there be standardised signage in woodland areas, public parks and on private land where people go walking? Can it be ensured that there will be regulation of signs and that the local authorities will be resourced to put them up? If the HSE is willing to be involved in the signage, can the local authorities be resourced so that there are people available to put up the signs?”
“Fiona and some of the other sufferers would say that not only is the tragedy of her situation that there are long-term effects, but also that it could have been prevented had there been more awareness among doctors and the general public of Lyme disease. I am aware that some county councils, including Sligo County Council, have provided signage about the dangers of Lyme disease and the possibility that people could be infected in certain areas. I am aware that the resourcing of local authorities to have these signs put up can be an issue. I would love to ensure that all local authorities would be resourced to put up signage providing reliable and easy to understand information about the causes, signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. Sligo County Council has the signs up and I have seen them myself.”
“Fiona's condition has been diagnosed as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid disease and functional neurological disorder. Delays in recognition and diagnosis allow the disease to get a firmer grip on a sufferer's system and mean the single two-week course of antibiotics available under the HSE becomes less likely to work. This leads to further complications and to people having to seek treatment abroad in Germany. Fiona has had to retire from work. She has had to sell her house to fund her treatment. She has estimated that to date she has spent approximately €100,000 on treatment outside that available from the HSE.”
“Due to the similarity of these symptoms with other illnesses, Lyme disease is not always easy to diagnose and is often referred to as the great imitator. If it is left unrecognised and untreated, Lyme disease can cause harrowing severe illness and complications, including persistent fatigue, chronic pain, depression and cardiac and neurological symptoms. Fiona Quilter is a woman from Sligo whose health has been ruined, and that is not an understatement, by chronic Lyme disease. She has taken the step of going public along with many of her fellow sufferers of Lyme disease. A very informative cross-party Oireachtas group has been set up. She has highlighted the possible consequences of Lyme disease and the failure of doctors to recognise and treat it.”
“I have just spotted Keith Henry in the Visitors Gallery. There might be a Ballymote bunch here. Most people probably know that Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread through the bite of an infected tick. This is a potentially serious illness, but it can be prevented through a number of precautions. When Lyme disease is contracted, it can be treated with antibiotics if it is diagnosed in time. If it is not diagnosed or not treated early enough, Lyme disease can have devastating consequences for those who contract it. Early symptoms include a bullseye-type rash around the site of the bite. It is not unusually sore or itchy, but it can increase in size. Other symptoms include flu-like symptoms, headaches, sore throats and stiffness. These can become more severe if symptoms persist.”
“The all-Ireland rail review states the line will be extended from Athenry to Claremorris, but can we add the line from Claremorris to Sligo? Senator Duffy and I are like broken records here talking about this. Is there an opportunity to re-examine this? Just because there is a rail review does not mean the thinking is set in stone. Can the extension be reconsidered? It is only 75 km. Since 2019, the north west has been downgraded by the European Commission to a lagging region. If we are really talking about balanced regional development, the line will be transformative. Reinstatement of the western rail corridor, the spine of Connacht, would be a wonderful legacy for the Minister to go out on. Ar aghaidh leis an obair.”
“Most people start work between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. but if the train does not arrive until 10 a.m., they will not be able to get it. It also affects people with hospital appointments. It has been suggested that a train could leave Sligo empty at 4 a.m., go to Longford and then come back at 8 a.m. Irish Rail has assured me it is working towards providing an hourly service on the line and I am aware that two additional staff are to be employed in Sligo. Could these be a priority? The ATU, hospitals and general workers in Sligo claim it would be transformative if a train arrived in Sligo at 8 o’clock in the morning. Let me talk about the western rail corridor, or the spine of Connacht, as we call it, and its reinstatement.”
“We were promised reinstatement on the Sligo–Dublin line by the start of 2025 but that commitment has not been delivered upon. Irish Rail is blaming the NTA for the failure to deliver a sufficient budget, and Irish Rail and the NTA both assert that the catering service is a loss-making service. I do not buy that because a small, independent catering cart has been set up in Dromod, County Leitrim. If an independent person is trying to make money out of it, I do not see how it could be loss-making. Can we just figure this out? It would be a very easy win for the north west. Another matter that could be fixed very easily concerns the fact that no train arrives into Sligo before 10.15 a.m. on a weekday. This is not good enough. We have a big problem with student accommodation for the wonderful Atlantic Technological University in Sligo.”
“All joking aside, the reinstatement of the western rail corridor and the expansion of rail services on the Dublin–Sligo line will have a huge and positive impact on the life of those living in the north west. I wish to address three specific issues, two of which can be addressed immediately and at very little cost in the budget. The third will take a little more time. I recognise that the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney, has made encouraging sounds about what is possible. He has been speaking to senior management in Irish Rail, with which I have corresponded, about the catering services withdrawn from all the services on the rail network at the start of the Covid pandemic. We are aware that they have been reintroduced on the Dublin–Belfast and Dublin–Cork lines.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I am going to return again to the matter of the western rail corridor and the other examples of significant underinvestment and neglect relating to the rail network in the west and north west. I will be echoing much of what Senator Duffy said. Most of these matters I have raised in one form or another since I have been in the Seanad and the transport committee. I could be called a trainspotter at this stage. However, the trouble with being a trainspotter in the north west is that you are restricted to one line, from Sligo to Dublin. If you happen to be based at the end of the line, as I am in Sligo town, there is nothing to spot travelling from east to west before 9 o’clock in the morning and from west to east after 7 o’clock in the evening.”
“However, I am heartened to see the Government recognises the value of the post office network and has committed to funding this vital economic and social network to 2030. The Irish Postmasters' Union, which I was delighted to meet, has evolved and responded in this ever-changing world and its needs must be responded to, if not with enthusiasm, then with compassion. Its efforts need to celebrated, but it also needs to be supported and we need to listen to exactly what its needs are. I hope the Government will fulfil its promise and commit to a minimum of €15 million.”
“I am delighted there is such enthusiasm from the Government but, unfortunately, the evidence shows that, in the past ten years, 31 post offices have closed in the north west - the Minister of State will know this as it is in his own area - four in Leitrim, eight in Sligo and a staggering 19 in Donegal. Many rural villages and communities are now left without a post office, which leaves a gaping hole in those villages for older people. For many people, their lifeline for social interaction is gone. If we fail to provide this relatively small amount of funding that will help sustain the independent, individual enterprises which make up the network, we risk seeing what the Grant Thornton report called rapid, unrestrained closures which will cause irreparable financial, economic and social harm.”
“Moving beyond the realm of the financial role of post offices, we must look at the social role and the social life it gives many people, which has come up here many times tonight. In many rural towns and villages, a trip to the post office to a receive a hard-earned pension and to pay the bills is often followed by a trip to the local shop. Each of these interactions helps keep people physically and mentally healthy. Each of these interactions has an impact in keeping older people in their own homes for longer. A report produced by Grant Thornton for the Irish Postmasters' Union, which we have all spoken about, estimates the social and economic value of the post office network to be €344 million to €777 million per year and asserts that can be maintained at a cost of just €15 million per year.”
“When we are talking about the role of the post office, the most significant of all is its role in circulating €7 billion in actual cash into communities every year. This is money that is paid out in welfare benefits to people who are living on low incomes such as pensioners, people with disabilities and those who are unable to work. Some of the most vulnerable members of our society find their economic lifeline in post offices. I have pointed out on many occasions in this House that the particular impact those on low incomes have, both on the local and national economy, is disproportionate. Money that is received locally by people who have a lower income is spent locally. These support local, sustainable business, microenterprises and social enterprises in local communities.”
“It allows people who do not have bank accounts to do their financial transactions and pay the utility bills but also the payment of certain essential bills which keep the State running, including property taxes and TV licences. It also allows those who cannot engage with banking and bills online to pay in person. We have heard here tonight that postmasters often help people, older people, in particular, with their financial transactions. We see passport applications, the payment of fines and the list goes on and on. We all know - this was spoken about earlier - that Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and AIB have closed branches all over the country, which leaves an awful lot of villages and towns without a financial institution.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am delighted to be having this conversation and see there is such enthusiasm for this debate. All of us speak so warmly and fondly of the postal services because the post office network has traditionally played a special and significant role in all of Irish life, from before and after the foundation of our State. The local post office holds a special place, which we can see here, in people's affections. The services that are provided - we have all said this - go way beyond the realm of posting letters and parcels. This network allows people who might otherwise be excluded from participation in an increasingly digital and impersonal economy to fully participate as citizens in their local communities.”
“For too long, unmarried couples have been treated as an anomaly, even as second-class citizens, by the Department of Social Protection - considered as a couple when subject to the means test but not recognised as a couple when it comes to receiving a widow's or widower's pension. Unmarried couples, as we clearly hear today, are not an anomaly and deserve equal and fair treatment along with those who have undergone a legal recognition of their relationships. It is a missed opportunity that the rights of children were not included in this Bill, but I am supporting this.”
“I welcome the Minister. Fáilte, a Aire. Thankfully, at this stage, there is general society acceptance at all levels that bereavement and loss are not restricted to those who are formally and legally married but, as we have said here today, this was not always the case. This Bill is largely thanks to the campaigning work of Johnny O'Meara of Tipperary in highlighting the glaring inequality of treatment between married and unmarried couples. I welcome the intent demonstrated in the Bill to extend pension rights to surviving cohabiting partners and I hope that it passes all remaining Stages as quickly as possible.”
“The introduction and maintenance of a voluntary register, which we have spoken about, for the registration of lost pregnancies at any stage of gestation is a significant and welcome development in the recognition of that loss and of each lost child's unique identity. Pregnancy loss is a matter so personal and internally painful to women or a family unit and each experience is so unique that it has perhaps suited society to treat it as a private event. While this may work for some women and families, it does not work for others who feel their loss is unacknowledged in a way that no other form of bereavement would be. I fully support this Bill. I agree with Senator Stephenson that there should be no time delay with this. I urge that it be looked at again. The place for it is within the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.”
“The INTO, as a trade union made up largely of women, has been instrumental in bringing issues to national attention. The Labour Party reproductive Bill, which bears many similarities to this Bill, was constructed largely on information and data provided by the PLACES workforce report. I want to commend Senator Ryan for organising a briefing with the UCC pregnancy loss research group, where Professor Keelin O’Donoghue and Dr. Marita Hennessy made very clear what the evidence said we needed to see. The Organisation of Working Time Act is the perfect place for this amendment. The reproductive Bill that my colleague Deputy Sherlock introduced has passed Second Stage in the Dáil and will go for further scrutiny. I think the Act is the perfect place for it to be.”
“When people have early pregnancy loss, they actually do think that they should be getting on with it and that they should be able to go back into work. When women are struggling to cope with the reality, they should be supported. Women should not have to decide whether to take sick leave and pretend they are sick, because they are not sick. They should not have to take annual leave when they are actually grieving, and they should have time and support to be able to do that. They should not have to make impossible choices around how they acknowledge their feelings of grief. Grief does not follow the same pattern or timetable for all people and that needs to be reflected in the legislation. Some people may be able to return to work shortly after loss while others might need to take much longer.”
“I commend Senators Ryan and Murray on introducing this Bill. I also suffered early miscarriage loss. As Senator Ryan said, every loss matters. No matter what the stage of one’s loss, it will place a physical, emotional and psychological trauma on one. Under the current system, women losing a child at under 23 weeks often find themselves having to return to work, many still experiencing very physical symptoms such as bleeding and cramps, which only adds to the emotional and psychological suffering experienced. This leads to employees having to take sick leave or annual leave or to ask employers for discretionary compassionate leave, which ensures added secrecy and often shame. I was told I was grand and to get on with it, it was an early pregnancy loss and I was fine.”
“One school will become run down and one will serve an affluent area. Middle-class children will attend one school and Scoil Mhuire will be cynically run down because of the lack of an appropriate school building. Scoil Mhuire submitted an application in 2016. It is the main national school in Carrick-in-Shannon, so a new school building is a matter of urgency.”
“There is, therefore, no date or commitment yet. I ask the Minister of State to look favourably on this matter. He mentioned that the impact of climate change is part of the assessment. I will cite an example of how unfair it is when there are two campuses. In 2024, schools were encouraged to apply for solar panels. As there are two school campuses, only one application was accepted but the school still has two electricity bills. A new Gaelscoil in Carrick-on-Shannon, which is very welcome, was afforded €4.5 million. There is a danger that one school will be completely run down because it has an existing building. The lights have gone off in the Chamber, which also happened during a committee meeting earlier.”
“The four local Deputies are all very supportive of the site and have publicly expressed their support. We now need the Department to indicate the status of the application for the new school building. The application was submitted in 2016 and people want to know when the project will progress to the next stage.”
“These students have needs for which small spaces would be conducive to best accommodate them. Like every school across the country, there are more children with additional needs in the school education system. Again, these children would benefit from having smaller classrooms and environments. To deal with the lack of space, the school is using converted corridors and eating into the PE hall. The PE space was small enough and it now has to be divided. It is real challenge. A promise has been made to build two modular classrooms this summer but the project will have an impact on the play space available and we all know that play is an important holistic need for children. Leitrim County Council has identified a suitable greenfield site, with which the school is very happy.”
“The most glaringly obvious issue there is that there are two different campuses and they are across the road from each other. Not only is it dangerous for children crossing the road, but it also affects school identity and drop-offs. Parents drop children off in the morning to both campuses. We know the Department is aware, because a technical report several years ago from the then Department of Education stated that the school building was substandard. It is very easy to see why. The PE hall is tiny for the number of children who attend the school. The building is really cold and hard to heat. As the school is very inclusive, the principal and the school's entire staff have welcomed children from a lot of different cultures and backgrounds, who often have additional learning and language needs.”
“My request is very basic and relates to the need for the Minister for education to make a statement on the status of Scoil Mhuire's application for a new school building in Carrick-on-Shannon. I will give a bit of background information. Scoil Mhuire is the largest primary school in Carrick-on-Shannon, which is a very big and ever-growing town in County Leitrim. The school is located right in the middle of Carrick-on-Shannon and was one of the earliest proponents of the amalgamation of the two schools. The schools that were amalgamated were an old boys' school built in 1963 and a girls' school that was built in 1953. The schools were amalgamated in 2013. In 2016, the school put in an application for a much-needed school building.”
“So-called safe countries clearly are not safe for everyone. We are voting against all the motions. If these proposals are passed by the Houses, as Senator Ryan said, they are in effect in Irish law and cannot be challenged in courts. I urge my fellow Senators to please reject these motions.”
“Is it not relevant to a safe country designation that in Egypt, for example, same-sex activity is punishable by up to 17 years in prison, with hard labour, fines and deportation. Where would a gay person deported from Ireland to Egypt be deported to? Would it be back to Ireland? What if that gay person seeking protection was originally from Egypt? Does Egypt then cease to be a safe country? Do we end up with a game of human ping-pong between Ireland and Egypt as an individual is deported back and forth? It is not a joke. It is very serious and I know everyone is taking this very seriously. ILGA-Europe publishes an annual Rainbow Europe review of the human rights situation in every European country. According to it, Türkiye comes in with a score of 5%, ahead of only Russia and Azerbaijan. Georgia is sixth last on 12%.”
“These include Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine. Europe is telling us we need to spend 5% of our gross domestic product on defence against the Russians and then it is declaring Georgia and Ukraine safe. Outside of that, the EU will also designate Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Kosovo, Morocco and Tunisia as safe countries of origin. I do not know how many of us would fancy going on holidays to Ukraine or Colombia. I appreciate Pride Month is over but we have to bear in mind the International Protection Act requires protection to be given where there is a risk of persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation.”
“The new regulation appears to remove this requirement and is likely to result in a third country setting itself up as a safe country to receive people we have decided we do not want, and to charge accordingly. The Rwanda policy in the UK was ridiculed at the time it was introduced as one of Boris Johnson's most bonkers policies and was withdrawn by the Labour Government. It is estimated to have cost the UK taxpayer £700 million and resulted in a total of four voluntary deportations. Surely we have made enough bad policy decisions in this country that we do not need to go back to neocolonial policy. There have to be serious questions surrounding what the regulations consider to be a safe country. The first proposal would designate all EU candidate countries as safe countries of origin.”
“Senator Ryan referred to the fact that the regulations establishing a common system of return of third country nationals legally in the EU have been withdrawn. That is surely an admission that more scrutiny is required. The proposals relating to third countries considered safe is extremely reminiscent of the UK's Rwanda policy. This proposal seems to allow for member states to decide an application is inadmissible and yet the individual or individuals cannot be returned to their country of origin. Surely if it is not safe for a person to return to their country of origin, they should be granted asylum here or at least leave to remain here until it is safe to be returned to that country. The law currently requires any safe country a person may be deported to must be a country to which they have a connection.”
“No one is disputing that we need a fair and efficient emigration and migration policy but the motions under discussion are serious in nature and will have a significant impact on the rights of people who have sought protection here. There is an inherent danger in rushing through any legislation and when legislation pertains to the rights of people who could subsequently be removed from this jurisdiction and therefore be unable to avail of any appeal process or rectification of errors, the legislation deserves proper scrutiny. The proposals were only recently published and were brought to our attention a week ago. They need to be examined properly through the committee system, whether in the justice committee or the European affairs committee. We cannot possibly determine this afternoon the impact the regulations will have.”
“We were assured that a business case was made for the surgical hub to be based in Sligo. My colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, asked a parliamentary question in the Dáil on 24 June about what was part of the Lowry deal. He was assured that no deals were done with the Lowry Independents regarding HSE infrastructure. The Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Caroll MacNeill, said she has not received any business case for the surgical hub to be based in Sligo. Can we find out who is telling the truth and where the surgical hub will be based? We should not have a Dublin-centric model. It seems that we are cut off, from Galway up to the north west. We need two surgical hubs. I hope it is not a case of divide and conquer. We need clarity. We need to find out who is telling the truth and when the information will be released.”
“I want to raise the ongoing debacle and farcical situation regarding the placement of a surgical hub in the north west. I live in Sligo. We were assured that a surgical hub would be provided in Sligo University Hospital. We were assured by the Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, that part of the deal of going in with the Lowry group was that the surgical hub would be based in Sligo. At a HSE regional health forum meeting in April, it was stated that plans were progressing and Sligo would be the base for the hub. I will in no way try to pit Donegal against Sligo. We need a surgical hub in both areas. I know Senator Manus Boyle has raised this significant issue, as have GPs, consultants and patients in Letterkenny. There has been a really good lobbying campaign for a surgical hub in Sligo.”
“I also commend Senator Malcolm Noonan on bringing this Bill forward and Senator Ryan for including children in it because it is essential that we are acting responsibly and quickly to ensure this epidemic does not escalate further out of control.”
“In Sligo, the intention is that DVAS will be a lead partner in operating the facility designed to accommodate eight families. That is where the issue lies. We know a number of sites have been identified and some were agreed on would have provided suitable service and sites, but some of those sites did not become available. The question of a site for Sligo will be revisited again at the end of July. This is where I want to ensure local authorities are working in partnership with Departments to ensure this becomes a matter of urgency and a part of housing planning within the planning department and the Department of housing to ensure spaces are available for women and children when they need it. I commend the women and children who have been forced to leave their homes.”
“The help needs to be given when people are initially looking for help. Senator Gallagher spoke about women having to leave the home. That needs to be looked at. When people are looking for refuge spaces, things have gone as far as they can possibly go. However, we need to still provide those spaces. I know nine counties still do not have a shelter in July 2025. Sligo and Leitrim do not. From speaking to organisations locally, I know there have been great strides in how the Government is approaching the planning of these services. I acknowledge this. Cuan is working well to ensure that all partner services are involved in decision-making. The Department of housing, the domestic violence advocacy service, DVAS, and local authorities have been working hand in hand.”
“The purpose of the Bill is to give strength and teeth to the existing legislation but also to ensure we look at continuous help by making it part of the housing strategy and looking at women's refuges, supports for children and family supports. This is such a welcome Bill and I hope it is enacted and not delayed, but there needs to be is a wider conversation. The Bill is just one part of a response. Thankfully, women and children are no longer expected to tolerate a life of violence or to live in an abusive relationship, but as legislators we need to enact this and as a State we need to respond accordingly. In January 2023, I publicly highlighted the concerns in my own area that nine counties, including Sligo and Leitrim, had no women's refuge. Refuge is the last resort. Senator Clonan spoke about this.”
“The underlying theme from today and from the conference over the last two days is that collectively as a society we know about this, so it is our responsibility to address it, whether through the State and legislation or through our own actions, something that a lot of Senators have spoken about. I am going to speak about the wider context. We have seen the increase in the reporting of domestic violence and abuse and gender-based violence. These reports sometimes come from women who have survived years and even decades of abuse and other people who are still enduring abuse. Over 32,000 contacts were made to Women's Aid during 2024. That is 32,000 instances of women looking for help.”