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.”
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“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I know he is well aware of all the LEADER programmes and the great work they do. I listened to "Morning Ireland" this morning where the Taoiseach was unable to give a straight answer not only about where the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, funding is going to be spent but also in respect of LEADER projects. The local development companies are particularly vulnerable within the overall CAP budget. The Minister of State knows the amazing work they do on the ground to address poverty and to promote economic development and social inclusion. It is hard for those programmes to plan if the money is not going to be ring-fenced. The MEPs in the Minister of State's party have been engaged on this. All parties have been committed to this. I would love to know what commitment we can give.”
“It definitely will close an existing gap to keep some of our most vulnerable children in some of the most horrific circumstances safer than they currently are under the law. That is why we appreciate the opportunity to speak about it here today. I wholeheartedly welcome the Bill.”
“The Bill's only time limit is a six-month deadline after conviction, during which Tusla can apply for a restriction or removal of guardianship rights. This means the child would likely remain under the guardianship of his or her parent's killer for many months. There are no easy answers here but this needs to be looked at. Is this Bill doing all it can to protect the safety and well-being of the children or child during that interim period? Finally, we want to raise the issue of guardians ad litem . I know the Minister amended the Bill in the Dáil, but we are still looking for a guarantee that the GALs will have legal representation in all cases. On the whole, we want to support this important Bill.”
“We are all aware of some of the issues that Tusla has faced in recent times and we need to see reassurance that it will be properly equipped to carry out the duties assigned to it under this Bill. There are also constitutional questions about the legislation. Article 42A of Bunreacht na hÉireann allows for the State to take on a guardianship role where a parent has failed in his or her duty towards a child to such an extent that the safety or welfare of the child is likely to be prejudicially affected. The wording of that constitutional test is embedded in this Bill, which is welcome, and we think it is sufficient, but we ask the Minister to assure us that this Bill's provisions are constitutionally watertight and will not be open to any challenge on the ground. The question of timescales is also important.”
“The Labour Party wholeheartedly welcomes this legislation. It is a testament to the bravery and resilience of the French family, who have campaigned so strongly for this absolutely necessary legislation. Their advocacy for Valerie's legacy and for her children has been powerful and moving to see. I thank David and Veronica, who are in the Gallery. We hope to see this Bill being progressed quickly. We also need to make sure that this legislation is watertight. It is vital that we get this right. With this in mind, I want to raise a few questions for the Minister to address. There have been some reports that Tusla has expressed some concerns about its level of resourcing when it comes to implementing the measures in the Bill.”
“We want to keep people in education for as long as we can. The Sligo Community Training Centre has recommended that a different option would be available that is also available in the Cavan Institute. I refer to a PLC access programme. Instead of going around in circles doing a level 3 course and then a level 4 course within the same training centre, they could do an access course for one or two years that would help them to transition to a PLC course. That would not only address their learning needs and be specifically tailored to them but it would also help with their financial situation.”
“Instead, they find themselves reduced to an under-18 level of payment of around €45 a week or they have to apply for a SUSI grant, which is much less generous in its monetary value. Even at its highest rate, it is just €7,936 per year, which is €152 a week - a significant drop from a training allowance. Who would be able to cope with the loss of that income, especially in families where the parents might not be able to provide additional support to students at home? What often happens is that when students finish their level 3 or level 4 qualification they want to stay in education because they are getting the training allowance but they are not able to progress to level 5 because they would lose a significant amount of money. It is hard for young people to get meaningful work at the moment.”
“Traditional schools did not meet their needs, including their material needs. The payment of a training allowance of up to €250 a week, plus additional money for accommodation or travel, is a major incentive for young people who wish to continue with their education. Upon graduation at level 3, which is equivalent to the junior certificate, or level 4, which is equivalent to the junior certificate applied, many students want to progress to a level 5 or level 6 qualification at a PLC college. However, because many of them are still under the age of 16, they find themselves cut off from this level of support and are unable to access social welfare supports such as jobseeker's allowance, which would alleviate their financial position.”
“I echo Senator McCormack's request for a full debate in this House on domestic and gender-based violence. Such a debate is long overdue. I want to talk about a different issue. Last week, I had the privilege of welcoming a group of learners from the Sligo and Leitrim community training centres to Leinster House. There are more than 31 community training centres across the country. They cater for young people whose needs were not met in school or else school was unsuitable for their needs. These learners engaged actively when they came here on an educational tour. I commend the staff of Leinster House on the brilliant job they always do in making people feel so welcome. These young people, along with others, engage in different forms of education in training centres and via Youthreach and similar programmes.”
“No one wants to go on strike, but 98% of CTC employees have balloted in favour of industrial action. The Government needs to start treating them with respect. What they are looking for is what those in similar groups that are funded by Departments - these are not directly employed staff - have received. It is imperative that the Government take this very seriously, because no one wants to go on strike.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response, which is very disappointing. It is an insult, and 7% is an insult. Section 56, section 10 and section 39 workers, Tús workers and Citizens Information employees all got the settlement of 9.25%. The latter are funded organisations as well, but the Government is saying that 7% is acceptable. The WRC ruled in favour of SIPTU in respect of the claim of 9.25%. It is very insulting that the Government has gone back to say that the workers should accept 7% when the WRC has issued a ruling in respect of the 9.25%. It is insulting to the people they are working with that their work is not appreciated. In comparison with secondary school teachers, there can be a discrepancy of €11,500, even though they are supporting the same young people and the same cohort.”
“I hope the Government will honour it, but there seems to be an unwillingness to do this. From where does that unwillingness come? The Department of further and higher education has stated that it has sought the money but that the Department of Finance is unwilling to provide it.”
“The last thing these dedicated educators want to do is to disrupt the learning of a group who are among the most vulnerable learners and who depend on stability and predictability. However, the lack of regard that has been shown to resource tutors and adult educators is such that they now feel they have no option but to press ahead with industrial action. Such action will cause severe disruption. The responsibility lies with the Government to ensure that industrial peace is maintained and that the dedicated education professionals are kept in the classroom where they belong and where they want to be, working with the vulnerable learners who they support so much. The agreement with the Department of further education, and negotiated by Kevin Duffy, for an increase of 9.25% was not over-generous; it was fair.”
“SOLAS, the Irish Association of Community Training Organisations, IACTO, the education and training boards, ETBs, and SIPTU, their trade union, all met and agreed to a pay rise of 9.25% with the Department of further and higher education. The Department sought funding from Department of public expenditure and reform. However, the latter came back with a disappointing offer of 7% to be paid over 18 months which SIPTU, correctly, deemed unacceptable. This resulted in the balloting of SIPTU members, who voted 98% in favour of industrial action. Unless the situation is de-escalated immediately by the Government, this industrial action could lead to all-out strike action.”
“In many cases, however, they face a tougher job than a lot of mainstream school teachers. They possess a unique set of attributes and skills which meet the holistic needs of young people who they work with every day. However, educators employed by community training centres are employed with less pay and weaker terms and conditions not only to mainstream secondary teachers but also to their Youthreach counterparts. Historically, there was a pay alignment between Youthreach and those employed by the CTCs. This parity lapsed some years ago. It is the restoration of that parity which is the subject of the dispute that CTC staff are currently engaged in.”
“A major part of these courses is the linked work experience, which can lead to full-time employment or an apprenticeship. This is down to not only the active engagement of the learners but also to the staff - the adult educators and resource people who deliver the training and learning on a daily basis. These critical workers have been underpaid for many years. I know this having worked very closely with them. There are other factors, including the failure of the Department to correct disparities in the academic calendar which mean that these resource teachers often feel undervalued compared with mainstream educators. Most secondary school teachers accept that while these educators deliver education differently and in a different environment, they are very much equals as professionals.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Dillon. Youthreach and community training centres, CTCs, provide educational opportunities for young people when mainstream education fails to meet their learning needs or is not suited to those needs. These learners often come from hard-to-reach communities and communities that are excluded and often live with disadvantage. In Youthreach and CTC programmes, learners aged between 15 and 21 work towards achieving Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, levels 3 and 4 qualifications, which are equivalent to junior cert and leaving cert applied. Students in Sligo and Leitrim CTC have the opportunity to study computers, catering, hairdressing, sports and recreation, and car maintenance.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I dtús báire, fáiltím roimh an obair atá déanta aige ó ceapadh ina Aire é. Is mór an trua é seo a chloisteáil, áfach. Tá díomá orm nach dtacóidh an tAire leis an leasú seo. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil fadhbanna móra maidir le tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Tugann an leasú seo níos mó deiseanna don údarás freagraí níos praiticiúla agus níos dírithe a bheith aige do na fadhbanna tithíochta atá os a chomhair. Tá a fhios agam nach n-éireoidh leis an leasú ag an am seo, ach gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire pé scéal é.”
“Tá 400 acra talún ag an údarás a bheadh oiriúnach le haghaidh seo, dar leis féin. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil saineolas agus scileanna in Údarás na Gaeltachta chun tograí agus scéimeanna mar seo a éascú. Bheadh rannóg thithíochta san údarás in ann cabhrú le muintir na Gaeltachta leis na deiseanna a bheadh acu maireachtáil sa Ghaeltacht ar bhonn lárnach, ag cabhrú le hUisce Éireann, comhairlí contae agus comharchumainn áitiúla a fheileann don togra sin.”
“Tairgim leasú Uimh. 1: Ar leathanach 13, idir líne 3 agus líne 4, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “(7A) Féadfaidh an tÚdarás leas i maoin agus réadmhaoin a cheannach nó a fháil ar mhaithe le tithíocht, seirbhísí, nó áiseanna sóisialta nó cultúir a chur ar fáil ar cibé téarmaí agus faoi réir cibé coinníollacha is cuí leis.”. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Labhair mé faoi seo an tseachtain seo caite. Ba mhaith liom labhairt faoin leasú seo a chuirfeadh feabhas mór ar chearta daoine a rugadh agus a tógadh sa Ghaeltacht. Tá sé tábhachtach don phobal agus do thodhchaí na Gaeltachta go mbeadh ról níos lárnaí ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht do chainteoirí Gaeilge. Sa Bhille anois, beidh cead ag an údarás talamh a dhíol. Ba chóir go mbeadh cead ag an údarás talamh a cheannach ar mhaithe le tithíocht a chur ar fáil.”
“Again, we are looking for repeat prescriptions. HRT is a prescribed medicine, and the lack of availability is not getting the attention it deserves. It is not okay that it is women's health that is affected by the lack of availability. If we could have a debate with the Minister, it would be very welcome.”
“Even before the free scheme was introduced, there were a lot of indications to the effect that there was not enough availability of HRT products within the market. This shortage is due to matters relating to supply chains. This is not just an Irish issue. Trade unions and the Irish Pharmacy Union have raised concerns in respect of it. If this was any other medication, there would be absolute uproar about what is happening. Our attitude to female reproductive health is not what it should be. In light of the impact weather like this has on people's symptoms, I know how important HRT is. It should be prioritised as an the area of medical healthcare. I wish we could have a conversation about women's health in the Seanad, specifically on this matter. There have been positive moves, and the Minister has to be commended on them.”
“I have just heard the good news about Senator Ahearn. I congratulate him. I am delighted for him. All of his family are very welcome. It is great news. No better man. He deserves it. Well done. I want to raise the recent welcome news about having repeat contraception prescriptions for women. I would urge repeat prescriptions would happen for people who use HRT. This is something I am affected by, which is why I wanted to bring it up. The people in my local pharmacy in Sligo asked me to raise the fact that between 15% and 30% of Irish women, including me, use HRT in order to manage symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. I and many others have welcomed the free scheme the Minister for Health brought in. She is to be commended on the proactive nature of what she did in that regard.”
“We must now do everything we can not just to control and regulate killing machines but to forbid the development, testing, stockpiling, retention and use of autonomous weapon systems in this jurisdiction and lead the way in eliminating them throughout the world. In time, this Bill may be seen as the first step in a future treaty for the non-proliferation of autonomous weapons. I commend the Bill and its author. Maith sibh. We have an opportunity now to show leadership here and we have started to do so. Tús maith leath na hoibre. The work has started, but we all need to work together now to make sure it continues. I welcome that Fianna Fáil is not blocking this Bill. I urge that it fully support this legislation going through on all Stages in the two Houses.”
“I commend the Civil Engagement Group on bringing forward this legislation. The restrictions we have seen the US place upon AI models such as Anthropic's Mythos 5 and Fable 5, the export of high-end AI chips and the attempts by the Trump regime to control Anthropic, Palantir and other tech companies is a recognition of the potential for the explosion of autonomous weapons. These, however, are not attempts to rein in the destructive power of autonomous weapons but an attempt to control and stay ahead of every other country on the planet. The advent of autonomous weapons systems predicted in science fiction books and films has arrived.”
“The use of autonomous weapons systems removes that liability. It removes any accountability by an individual for unleashing a weapon which will kill and kill until it has accomplished its mission. This is not science fiction: this is science fact. The Ukrainian military has confirmed that two years ago it deployed AI-controlled quadcopter drones known as Terminators on the front line, killing Russian soldiers. The AI model searches for and interprets targets. The maker of the drone said that, "We just launch it and we know everything will be dead – everything that will be found there in this particular area will be dead. There is no connection to the drone at all, you cannot see the video, nothing ... Everything it sees will be killed". This Bill could not have come at a more appropriate time.”
“A person has to live with their conscience knowing that they pressed "Go" on a decision based on human intelligence. They also have to live with the consequences that that might mean answering before a criminal court or a higher court for taking that action. Between 7,500 and 10,000 people have been killed by the US and Israeli forces in Iran and Lebanon since the start of the most recent conflict. The deaths of Palestinians in Gaza are nearly tenfold that number, with the figure standing at over 73,000 people. Individual people will be held accountable for these war crimes in the future. Every time an Israeli settler or soldier makes a decision to squeeze the trigger to kill an unarmed Palestinian and every time an American service person directs a smart bomb into a school, they are committing a war crime.”
“It hit a school, a primary school, and murdered 156 civilians, including 120 children. A person made that decision to target that complex, that building, based on human intelligence gathered by the two supposedly greatest intelligence agencies in the world, Mossad and the CIA. A person made the decision to give the green light for the attack on the ayatollah based on the assessment that his death warranted the deaths of those around him. In the case of the pager attacks, a person at the highest level of the Israeli Government made the decision that they were going to explode devices not knowing who was holding them but knowing that wives, parents, siblings or even children of the intended target would have access to the device or would be in close proximity to them.”
“At the moment, we live in an era where countries deploy assassinations and accept the so-called collateral damage, or killing and maiming of innocent civilians, as being okay. I am thinking of the pager attacks on the Hezbollah leadership that killed and maimed children and other innocent civilians along with the intended targets. This terrorist attack was designed specifically to cause maximum injury to the targets. In the attacks that killed the Ayatollah Khamenei, the decision was made in the full knowledge that he was likely with his family. His daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law and son-in-law were killed in the attack. On the first day of the Iran war, the US launched an attack in an attempt to kill members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
“Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit as a post nua. When the topic of autonomous weapons comes up for discussion, as it increasingly does, many people of my age get a flashback to the Terminator films, which saw a time when travelling cyborg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was sent back to 1984 to assassinate Sarah Connor. The AI identifies and kills women called Sarah Connor in the knowledge that it will eventually get the right one. It seemed very far-fetched to me when I was growing up in Bandon in County Cork in 1984 that an AI called Skynet might be dispatching a killer robot into the past to eliminate an individual woman. It does not seem too far-fetched now, though, in the era of Palantir, Anthropic and SpaceX, that the targeting of an individual by a machine could be a reality in just three years' time.”
“It is easier to do work like that in a group setting because it requires an holistic approach. As I said, knee operations in both public and private care push up the cost of medicine. It has been proven in countries like Denmark that early intervention is preferable, and surgery should be a last resort. Unfortunately, in Ireland, we are still told that it is inevitable that people are going to have to get their knees replaced. I thank the Minister of State for listening.”
“I thank the Minister of State. Given her husband's condition, she knows about this issue. It is a condition that gets worse as it goes on. Times have definitely changed with regard to treatment, and it is now done through education. Both my mother and father have had knees and hips replaced. However, my mother would have been told not to do any exercise, whereas we are at least told that much now. What is interesting with the GLA:D programme is that because it is a group exercise and it is done in primary care centres by physiotherapists, all it needs is additional funding for it to be rolled out in counties that are willing to have it. My GP is in a fabulous primary care service. It needs additional money so that physiotherapists are not only trained in this programme, but have the capacity to deliver it on a group basis.”
“It would be enormously beneficial to those living with osteoarthritis to benefit from being included as part of the CDMP and that we would have a national strategy where, as soon as you get diagnosed or identify that you have osteoarthritis, a full treatment plan is put in place concentrating on lifestyle, education and physiotherapy, which is done in primary care settings. Will the Minister of State look at including osteoarthritis in the CDMP with an update on treatment, and look at alternatives for the treatment of osteoarthritis?”
“Osteoarthritis is as much a chronic condition as type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, asthma and cardiovascular illnesses such as heart disease. Each of these conditions is recognised under the chronic disease management programme, CDMP, and are treated, where possible, in the first instance through education and lifestyle and then with medication. The CDMP - I know the Minister of State knows this - entails six-month medical reviews, including consultation with a practice nurse, blood tests and follow-up GP visits.”
“The GLA:D programme has been embraced by professionals, with over 265 GLA:D-certified physiotherapists delivering twice weekly, eight-week programmes across 45 healthcare settings. It is being delivered in 16 counties in Ireland and over 1,000 patients have benefited from the approach, which treats the condition in a similar way to other chronic conditions, using education and lifestyle choices, such as exercise, to alleviate the symptoms and the impact of the condition. As I said, surgery should be the last resort and it should be avoided at all costs. Research, particularly in Denmark, states that several countries have shown that the implementation of a group education and exercise programme has resulted in a delaying or even total avoidance of surgery among some sufferers.”
“For example, in my case, when I was diagnosed as having it, I had to get an MRI to say I have osteoarthritis and there was no treatment plan besides just waiting for it to get worse. I have a wonderful GP but there was no referral to physio. There was no emphasis on alternative methods. It was basically, "You know what? You are going to have to wait until it gets worse and then you will get a knee replacement", or else look at injections. It was wonderful to go to this programme, which is called the Good Life with osteoArthritis Denmark, GLA:D, programme. It was brought to Ireland with the help of grant aid from the Health Research Board. It is through the University of Limerick that the programme is administered in the Irish health system.”
“Both my parents had osteoarthritis and I can see, first hand, how it reduces your ability to move. That is the whole point I am making today. Historically, the medical response to osteoarthritis has been to rely on surgical interventions such as knee and hip replacements. Apart from the trauma that any surgery inflicts on patients, it is an expensive practice, costing the health service around €112 million per year. Recently, it was great to attend a policy briefing in the audiovisual room that outlined an alternative response to osteoarthritis and the benefits of moving to supervised group education and exercise as a first-line treatment for people experiencing knee and hip osteoarthritis.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will raise this today because it is very personal to myself. I have osteoarthritis in both my knees. It has been gradually getting worse. I will give some figures about it. More than 577,800 people are living in Ireland with chronic joint pain and restricted movement as a result of osteoarthritis. People living with osteoarthritis experience a much poorer quality of life than those without. I have unfortunately learned this. I was late even coming over here and I was struggling to run. Irish people living with osteoarthritis are four times more likely to have three or more chronic conditions along with their arthritis. Due to the ageing population, we expect to see this number growing by between 20% and 30% by 2050. In my case, it is hereditary.”
“We cannot be labelled as anti-infrastructure because we are not. We are not anti-development but we are against pitting one essential necessity for our country against another. That is very short-sighted and I wish the Minister would reconsider accepting some of our amendments and having a longer debate. This is being rushed through. It is not being given due consideration. We should be honest about the public procurement issues we have in the country.”
“That is disappointing. Judicial reviews are being blamed for an awful lot of delays when there is poor planning, poor oversight and poor resourcing of Departments. That has to be recognised. It is recognised. The number of judicial reviews arises from poor planning. How can the Minister explain issues with other projects deemed to be critical infrastructure? What about the children's hospital? I know we keep using it as an example but public procurement is a big issue here. We have to be honest and have an honest conversation. It cannot be one or the other. It does not have to be like that. We all agree that we have to reduce emissions. We have signed up to the Paris Agreement. We have a climate Act for a reason. This undermines that Act. Unfortunately, we cannot support this.”
“It has been proven that it does not work. Our delivery of infrastructure projects in this country has been very poor and that has nothing to do with climate action.”
“As a result, we are going to be left with billions in fines, which we already have to pay. How is that money going to be accounted for? Of course, I agree that we need infrastructure. I agree with developing motorways. However, no legislation that is introduced should undermine the climate action Act. We spent a long time deliberating on that Act. As I have said already, there could be constitutional issues with this. I hope the Minister will consider this. Deleting section 7 and requiring climate action to be considered will in no way impact on the delivery of critical infrastructure projects. Whether we are going to disregard climate action or whether we are going to see the benefits of such action will have to be considered when delivering any critical infrastructure projects. This approach of seeing it as one or the other is wrong.”
“It is very important that we do not fall into a binary way of thinking where we must choose between climate action and infrastructure projects. I do not think anyone would disagree. Sadly, it is the legacy of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that we have not seen key infrastructure projects. As someone living in the north west, I have seen this. Climate action cannot be blamed for that because the Act was not even around at that time. BAM and the children's hospital is an example. We have a big problem with public procurement. We can also see it in the €50 million Irish Rail project that is now gone. It is not fair to blame climate action. This debate seems to suggest that we must choose between climate action and infrastructure projects. That is the wrong approach.”
“I move amendment No. 7: In page 7, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(6) Where a relevant public body is stated in law or is otherwise required by law to be independent in the performance of some or all of its functions, the power to give a direction in writing under this section shall not be exercised so as to override, compromise or otherwise interfere with the independent performance of those functions.” .”
“My party colleague, Deputy Ahern, has suggested that there may be real constitutional issues with this and we could see this Bill challenged. The Supreme Court has ruled previously that legislation cannot provide that a government can automatically designate to disapply a core statutory duty without clear criteria, thresholds or mandatory considerations. This Bill, and particularly section 7, is going to gut our climate protections and that may prove to be unconstitutional.”
“The whole Critical Infrastructure Bill is undermining the long, hard work that went into the climate action Act. I live in the north west where we face the real threat of building of fossil fuel infrastructure. If this Bill goes through, it will disregard any negative climate impact that will have. It will also disregard any climate benefits like prioritising rail infrastructure over road infrastructure, for example. The Minister did not rule out designating fossil fuel infrastructure as part of critical infrastructure. We all support the premise that something needs to change but not enough thought has been put into this. It is just an easy way out rather than looking, for example, at things like the overspend in the children's hospital. That is weak oversight and this Bill is not going to change that.”
“I move amendment No. 6: In page 7, to delete lines 8 to 10. The Labour Party really wants to see infrastructure improved. We recognise there has been a serious deficit in infrastructure and infrastructure projects in this country but we do not think this Bill addresses the root causes of that, which include poor planning, weak oversight and lack of staffing in relevant Departments. Overall, we cannot support the Bill. Not only do we believe it grants too much power to the Minister, and we are not simply talking about the present Minister himself but future Ministers as well, but we think it blurs the lines between the responsibilities of independent bodies which are being taken over by the Minister. Most importantly, we cannot vote for section 7. It is being rushed through.”
“Unfortunately, I am hearing stories around protection and safety orders that judges are ruling in favour of men and that there is an undermining of women. That is something that I hope we can continue to discuss here. I know this from working with Women's Aid and Domestic Violence Advocacy Service, DVAS. I hope that we can continue this conversation. I welcome and support the Bill. I thank the Minister for bringing it forward.”
“In that regard, I give a shout-out to the safe to call initiative by the Domestic Violence Advocacy Service, DVAS. In my area of Sligo, the first safe to call centre has started up in the Ballymote Family Resource Centre where all staff are trained to recognise if someone is a victim of or has experienced domestic violence and coercive control. This is not a silver bullet. We know the Bill is a start but it is just one part. Under the Istanbul Convention, we are still not meeting our obligations. Unfortunately, I come from one of nine counties where there is still no refuge. All the surrounding counties, including Leitrim, Longford, Cavan and Roscommon have no domestic violence refuge. That is something the Minister can help to address. We know that we need to have more ambition around this.”
“Of course, the absence of information should not necessarily mean an absence of concern. If a person is concerned enough to consult the register in the first place, how do we make sure that if they find their partner or prospective partner is not listed, they do not take a false sense of security from that. We need to be careful to communicate that if something feels wrong, it probably is wrong and a clear register does not necessarily mean no threat is posed. The need for victim's consent is in the legislation for good reason but could be a double-edged sword if victims come under pressure not to consent. These are vulnerable people who have been subjected to coercion, manipulation and violence in most cases. We need to make sure the supports are in place to allow them to safely make an independent and informed decision.”