Niall Collins
Limerick County · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We believe that EU membership is about being aware of the advantages of membership and making sure these are understood by the public. We want to encourage the Irish public to participate in that national conversation.”
“On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank the Deputies for raising these important issues. On 1 April, the Road Traffic Control of Certain Vehicles Regulations 2026, known as Grace's law in memory of Grace Lynch, were signed into law.”
“The Department of Transport is examining the issue of mandating the use of protective equipment for e-scooters and e-bikes along with other road safety-focused measures. Proposals in this regard are under consideration by the Ministers. The Department is also considering the matter of registration for e-scooters.”
“The strategy, A Career for EU, aims to improve Irish participation and success rates in EU recruitment processes for institutions such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and over 50 EU agencies.”
“They already benefit from significant Exchequer-funded rent supports through the housing assistance payment or rental accommodation scheme and, critically, must comply fully with the housing standards for rental houses regulations.”
“The timetable for implementation of all new and enhanced services is subject to funding, operational readiness and capacity. The public transport sector is currently experiencing a significant workforce shortage, particularly among drivers and mechanics.”
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“Medical evidence shows that approximately 12 people among our family, friends, neighbours and communities die every day from tobacco smoking in Ireland in 2025. Tobacco smoking is both addictive and lethal. There is scientific consensus that smoking kills at least one out of every two smokers. According to international analysis, smoking is the risk factor that drives the most death and disability combined in Ireland. In addition to the death toll, combustible tobacco products also cause a vast range of illnesses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, stroke and 16 types of cancer. The World Health Organization has estimated that 14% of Alzheimer's disease cases worldwide are attributable to smoking. When our young people smoke, there are additional risks to them.”
“The Minister for Health has asked me to thank Senator Ryan for raising this matter. I am sure the Senator and the House are aware the measure she has raised is currently the subject of judicial review proceedings and on that basis it is incumbent on all of us to respect the work the court has to do and be circumspect in our discussion about it. Any call for the Minister to make any further decision is also pending the backdrop of the judicial review. There are some aspects of the issue we can be very direct about. One of these is that we are in the year 2025 and, despite the time that has elapsed since it was recognised as a lethal product, combustible tobacco is still killing a large number of our population every day.”
“When the Bill is passed, regardless of whether services are in it, and I am not going to die in the ditch in relation to the services piece - I think too much of a big deal is being made of that element - it will be a powerful international statement by Ireland, have no doubt about that. To be fair, when you produce legislation, it has to be robust and has to be able to stand up to scrutiny. There is no point in producing cackhanded legislation that will not stand up to a challenge or scrutiny. Have no doubt about it, it will be challenged. It is absolutely going to be challenged, so the Attorney General is right. I appreciate the Senator's concern, and everybody's shared concern, in wanting to see this legislation progress. It is not the case that Government is dragging its heels when it comes to this legislation.”
“I do not agree with the Senator that the issue is being kicked down the road. It is a very significant priority for Government. It is a priority for me, as a member of Government, and for my party. I have been to the West Bank and settlements. I have seen the proliferation of Israeli settlements across the West Bank and in East Jerusalem. It is beyond comprehension. I have been a supporter of the occupied territories Bill since it was first introduced into these Houses by Senator Frances Black. I co-sponsored it in Dáil Éireann when we were in opposition. We have come from a position where it was deemed that we could not progress that legislation to where it is now: the Bill being a Government priority. It is in the programme for Government.”
“At the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday, the Tánaiste met his EU counterparts and welcomed the ceasefire and release of hostages as well as calling for the EU to support efforts to flood Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid. Preserving the very fragile ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian access at scale is a priority. The Tánaiste also recalled the unacceptable nature of what has been happening in the West Bank and stressed the importance of ensuring that the concept of a two-state solution resulting in a viable, contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem remains front and centre in the EU's approach and that all future phases of the current agreement are conducive to its implementation.”
“In addition, we continue to engage at European Union and international levels with like-minded partners on this issue. In the absence of action at the EU level, Ireland has welcomed the announcements by the Dutch, Spanish, Slovenian and Belgian Governments regarding their own intention to ban the importation of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements. It remains the Government’s preference that collective action would be taken at EU level and Ireland continues to pursue this. In light of recent developments, the EU’s immediate focus is on ensuring the success of the ceasefire and peace deal. It is essential that peace is given a chance to succeed.”
“On the timeline, over the summer the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, to which the Senator referred, held a number of hearings on the general scheme, and received submissions representing a range of views and perspectives. The joint committee then published its report on the Bill. Work to analyse the report and its recommendations is well under way. A regulatory impact assessment is also currently being finalised by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and will be available on the Department’s website quite shortly when completed. The next steps in the process, including the timeline for the progress of the Bill, will be considered by Government shortly. The Tánaiste expects to engage further with Government colleagues and the Attorney General on these issues in the coming weeks.”
“However, I am acutely aware of the impact of higher tariffs and the existing difficulties that many Irish exporters have already faced this year as well as the possible implications for the all-Ireland economy. I fully appreciate that there will be disappointment and concern in some sectors, including medtech, which are hugely important sectors for the Irish economy. Importantly, however, the joint statement leaves the door open for negotiation of further tariff reductions in the future on products of strategic common interest. Ireland is now working with the European Commission to see what exemptions can be made in areas of interest for Irish exporters. We continue to advocate for these exemptions for the medtech sector, as well as for spirits.”
“These tariff rates will be at the pre-existing US MFN rate, which is zero. This is welcome. During the lead-up to the EU-US joint statement, the Tánaiste engaged intensively with EU and US counterparts, in particular the US Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, trade representative Jamieson Greer and Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, emphasising the huge potential and scope for the EU and the US to work together in the interests of patients, their economies and the pharma industry. While of course we do not want any US tariffs, the joint statement provides a degree of stability and certainty in what has been a very difficult period for Irish and European exporters to the US. I strongly believe this was the best available deal.”
“It also made clear that any new tariff announced by the US under its section 232 investigation would be capped at this level. While there have been recent announcements on possible higher tariffs on pharmaceuticals, the EU was clear that the 15% tariff on the EU was a cap, which was confirmed by the US side. This example underlines the value of the agreement reached in August. This clear, all-inclusive 15% tariff ceiling for EU exports represents an insurance policy that no higher tariffs should emerge for Irish and European economic operators. The joint statement also includes lower tariff rate carve-outs for aircraft and aircraft parts, automobile and automobile parts. Importantly for the pharma sector, further carve-outs are to be determined for certain products in generic pharmaceuticals and chemical precursors.”
“I share Senator Ahearn’s concern and disappointment on the imposition of US tariffs. As I have said many times, tariffs are not good for anybody. They hurt business and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. However, US trade policy has shifted and both Ireland and the EU have to respond to this new reality. The life sciences sector, which both the pharmaceutical industry and medtech are part of, is a significant sector of the economy and employs over 100,000 people. The Government recognises its importance, as evidenced by our commitment to develop a national life sciences strategy. After months of uncertainty, on 21 August, the EU and the US published a joint statement on the EU-US framework agreement on reciprocal, fair and balanced trade. It confirmed a single 15% tariff on EU goods inclusive of current MFN rates.”
“Since the launch of Housing for All at the end of quarter 2 of 2025, nearly 16,900 affordable housing units have been delivered by approved housing bodies, local authorities and the Land Development Agency through the home first scheme, cost rental, the tenant in situ scheme and the vacant property refurbishment grant. Therefore, a solid foundation has been laid for future housing delivery which will be driven by the new national housing plan and underpinned by record levels of State investment under the national development plan. The new housing plan will include a range of measures to address homelessness, including the development of a homelessness prevention framework to ensure all possible measures are being taken across government to prevent homelessness. I again thank the Senator for raising this really important issue.”
“I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister for housing. I want to reassert the strong commitment of the Minister and this Government to addressing the housing challenges we face, which are touching every level of our society, as the Senator has outlined. While there is still much more to do, considerable progress has been made to date under Housing for All. Between July 2020 and the end of quarter 2 in 2025, over 50,600 social homes were added to our social housing stock. There is a strong pipeline of social housing. The latest construction status report showed 26,684 social homes at all stages of design and build at the end of June 2025.”
“He has ring-fenced an additional €50 million, under the national development plan process, to exit the households longest in homeless accommodation with a focus in the first instance on larger families with children and housing first clients. Ensuring that families and children experiencing homelessness are provided with accommodation and supports is critical. Budget 2026 provides an allocation of €513.5 million to provide homeless emergency accommodation and supports. Capital funding of €50 million has been allocated to support the provision and maintenance of quality emergency and transitional accommodation. The new housing plan will ensure all possible measures are being taken across government to prevent homelessness.”
“Budget 2026 has continued the record level of investment in social housing, with €2.9 billion in capital funding allocated to support the delivery of social homes by local authorities. This continued investment in the social housing programme will increase the supply of stock available to allocate to households on the social housing waiting list, including households in emergency accommodation. A key focus for the Minister is to reduce the time that families are spending in emergency accommodation. In September, the Minister wrote to 21 local authorities that have families in emergency accommodation for more than 12 months and asked them to use all available housing schemes to exit these families from emergency accommodation.”
“The Government is already investing record levels in the delivery of housing this year, with overall capital funding of almost €7.5 billion available. Addressing homelessness, and in particular homeless families and children, is a key priority for the Minister and for this Government. Ireland signed the Lisbon Declaration in June 2021, which committed all signatories to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. The Minister will continue to work with the National Homeless Action Committee to ensure an all-of-government approach to drive the ambition of the Lisbon Declaration. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is our continued investment in the social housing programme.”
“This plan will focus on building social and affordable housing, delivering infrastructure and activating land, securing finance and addressing viability challenges, boosting the capacity of the construction sector, promoting affordability, and continuing to reduce vacancy by bringing much-needed stock back into use as we seek to secure a long-term pipeline of delivery and funding to 2030 and beyond. In July, the Government published the revised national development plan, the largest ever capital injection in our economy in the history of the State. Of the €102 billion to be invested over the next five years, over €40 billion will be provided for housing and related water services in the period to 2030.”
“I thank Senator McCarthy for raising this Commencement matter on the plans of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address the homelessness and housing crisis. The Minister and this Government are absolutely determined to meet the needs of people who need us to respond at pace to the housing challenges we face. The programme for Government commits to delivering 300,000 new homes by 2030. To drive this delivery, the Government has committed to a new national housing plan to follow Housing for All, which will be underpinned by the required funding in the national development plan. This new national housing plan will be published early next month.”
“It has developed a new model of care for this service to offer care and protection to these young people and to integrate them into Irish life. Finally, Tusla has established a national steering group for the service through which it can engage with relevant organisations including non-governmental organisations on issues that most affect this vulnerable cohort.”
“I take onboard the concern the Deputy raises on behalf of his constituency and the communities impacted by this. It is going on a while. However, I would not like the message to go out that Revenue is dragging its heels in relation to this because it is an extremely efficient organisation, as many people know.”
“I cannot give the Deputy any sense of the timeline. There is no better organisation within the public service than the Revenue Commissioners in terms of efficiency and the expediency of the work done. I believe the Deputy would agree with that. It its fairly clearly implied in much of the information the Revenue Commissioners have supplied to me that there are circumstances outside our control. The Irish Revenue Commissioners cannot direct the Panamanian authorities to move any quicker or at the pace desired. The questions Deputy Ó Laoghaire raises are fair. Both he and I have a channel available to us where we can communicate with the Revenue Commissioners. A straightforward question directly from the Deputy to the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners would probably elicit a reply. I would be interested in it myself.”
“However, the Revenue Commissioners are considering all options, including the recycling of the vessel, so that the disposal and removal can proceed in the most expedient manner.”
“Following engagement between the Revenue Commissioners, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Panamanian officials, progress has been made in addressing some of these difficulties, including the registration of Revenue’s ownership of the vessel with the flag state, which was necessary to facilitate Revenue's disposal of the vessel. Accordingly, it is anticipated that progress can now be made on the disposal process. However, as matters stand, there remain certain regulatory and port State control matters to be addressed. The Revenue Commissioners are engaging with the relevant State agencies to progress these matters. As such, it is not possible to give the Deputy a firm timeline for the disposal and departure of the vessel at this point.”
“The Revenue Commissioners continue to engage with the preferred bidder’s representative. There are significant regulatory and legal obligations that must be fulfilled in order to finalise the disposal of the MV Matthew and facilitate its removal from Cork Harbour. Since March 2025, the Revenue Commissioners have been actively engaging with the vessel’s flag state, Panama, to ensure these regulatory requirements are satisfied. However, the manner in which regulatory processes were conducted by the previous owner has created certain difficulties and delays in Revenue’s being in a position to make progress on the disposal.”
“I thank the Deputy. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that, following the MV Matthew seizure and forfeiture, immediate steps were taken to prepare for its disposal. In November 2023, initial consultations commenced with a shipping broker with a view to marketing the vessel for sale. In December 2023, the Revenue Commissioners were advised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that disposal could not proceed as the vessel was required for evidence in the associated criminal trial. On 2 November 2024, the Special Criminal Court authorised the release of the MV Matthew and a shipping broker was then formally engaged by the Revenue Commissioners to market the vessel. The bidding process concluded in quarter 1 of 2025, when a preferred bidder was identified.”
“Parents will therefore be able to apply for specialist places much earlier than in previous years. I am aware that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, continue to meet NCSE and senior Department of Education and Youth officials weekly to discuss the progress being made in providing further special classes for the next school year, 2026 to 2027.”
“Of course, where demand is identified for special education classes, this will be sanctioned by the NCSE and established in schools within local areas. I accept that it may not always be possible to sanction these classes in preferred schools. It is important that classes be distributed fairly across schools in areas. This ensures inclusion practices continue in as many schools as possible and ensures our provision continues to expand evenly across diverse schools. The NCSE continues to examine the information gathered through the parents’ notifying system and match this demand to appropriate schools in local areas. It is envisioned that the location of the majority of special classes will be sanctioned by December of this year, four months earlier than in previous years.”
“I thank the Deputies for raising this question and giving me an opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs. The Department of Education and Youth is committed to engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to forward planning for new special provision to ensure every child has a place in an educational setting best fitting their educational need. It is important to remember that as we do this, our focus remains in keeping with policy on an inclusive education which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.”
“However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level, and there is known demand in a local area, the Department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places. This earlier commitment to the sanctioning of special classes combined with the rollout of the common application system pilot are some of the ways this Government is committed to ensuring the burden on parents is alleviated when seeking a specialist placement particularly in high areas of demand such as in Dublin 13. I assure the Deputies that the Department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for all children with special educational needs.”
“This engagement and earlier scrutiny of information means that the NCSE is on track to sanction the majority of new classes for the 2026-2027 school year by 31 December this year, four months earlier than in previous years. In addition, in order to ensure new special classes can open as quickly as possible, the NCSE will continue to prioritise working with medium and larger primary schools that do not already have a special class and have available accommodation to accommodate a new special class. This approach maximises the use of existing space which can be reconfigured efficiently while ensuring that new provision continues to be established. It also increases the number of schools with special classes providing parents with greater choice and reducing the distances that some children are travelling to access a specialist placement.”
“In County Dublin, 705 special classes are now in operation providing capacity for over 4,200 students. This includes 103 new special classes for this school year. There are also 42 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,700 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools being established for the 2025-2026 school year are located in Lucan and Belmayne. The NCSE will have a clear picture of local demand for specialist places for the 2026-2027 school year after it reviews and assesses all of the information which has been provided through the parents notification process which closed on 1 October. The NCSE is also engaging directly with schools' boards of management in relation to the opening of new special classes.”
“The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. As the Deputies know, the school referred to by them has three special classes, two dedicated for children with autism and one for children with a developmental language disorder or speech sound disorder. The school is to be commended on its proactiveness and willingness to open further special classes to support its community. Indeed, the hard work and dedication to special education was evident when the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, visited the school earlier this year with the Deputies. Budget 2026 secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places and the NCSE is currently examining where these places are best located for the 2026-2027 school year.”
“Specifically with regard to the MoU with the NARGC and in light of the current workload and overlapping responsibilities, he does not now believe it would be feasible to convene the cited forum before 2026 and certainly not before the work of the wild birds forum is concluded as he does not have the resources or the capacity to service two fora that would ostensibly cover the same subject area at the same time. This is not a reflection of any lack of value placed on that engagement. Rather, it is a practical response to the scale of the service’s current obligations and the need to ensure that all sectors receive fair and balanced attention. The Minister of State must also be mindful of the legal context in which these interactions occur and of the advice available to his Department in that regard.”
“It is responsible for the drafting and delivery of Ireland's nature restoration plan; the management of over 90 sites in State ownership; compliance and oversight across more than 600 Natura 2000 sites; the processing of over 11,000 permits and licences each year; statutory consultation on planning and development proposals; international compliance with a range of binding instruments; and 5 million visitors per annum to its sites. All of this represents a substantial and complex workload. Moreover, the upcoming EU Presidency will place additional demands on the same teams and key personnel. In that context, the Minister of State has asked that a review be undertaken of all existing memoranda of understanding and the commitments arising from them.”
“Since taking office, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Sullivan, has been acutely conscious of the extensive engagement that has taken place with the NARGC, particularly in the context of the wild birds forum. At the same time, he must acknowledge that the NPWS operates with finite resources and that its executive and ecological capacity is already under significant pressure. The service faces a challenging and demanding agenda.”
“One of the many valued participants in that conversation is the NARGC, which, along with a myriad of other community and national organisations, plays an important role in the stewardship of rural landscapes. Its input and that of all such organisations is both recognised and appreciated. The Minister of State wants to be clear that he is committed to ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to engage constructively with the NPWS.”
“These initiatives include the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, the young people’s assembly on biodiversity loss, a series of annual biodiversity conferences and the annual Heritage Ireland 2030 conference. Right now, we are in the middle of community conversations in relation to the nature restoration law. There is a veritable cascade of committees working with the independent advisory committee in the context of developing our national nature restoration plan. The National Association of Regional Gun Clubs is represented in those key fora. These fora, together with extensive consultation with farming, environmental, community and recreational stakeholders, reflect an unprecedented level of public dialogue and co-operation on the future of Ireland's countryside.”
“The Minister of State welcomes the opportunity to confirm to the House the Government’s continuing commitment to nature, the countryside, and the broader biodiversity agenda. Members will be aware that, in the context of budget 2026, the combined operating, capital and current allocation for the NPWS exceeded €100 million for the first time in the service's history. This figure is not merely symbolic. It represents a tangible investment in the protection and restoration of our natural heritage and underscores the Government’s recognition that biodiversity and a healthy countryside are essential to our national well-being and our economic and social future. Over the past five years, the Government has supported a range of initiatives to strengthen engagement with citizens and communities on nature and heritage issues.”
“The Minister of State values the work carried out by the NARGC, and he and his officials hold meetings with representatives from that organisation on a regular basis. The NPWS also engages regularly with farming representatives in the designated area monitoring committee. While the NPWS had committed to establishing a wider stakeholder forum, officials are unable to progress this at this time due to other priorities, including an inordinately large number of judicial reviews of aspects of planning, nature conservation and its work. NPWS staff participate in multiple interagency and sectoral committees and are active in myriad stakeholder engagements, including with the NARGC.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. The NPWS is committed to strengthening its engagement with all stakeholders and, accordingly, has established a number of fora through which the Minister of State and his officials meet stakeholders. In addition, there are multiple informal contacts and discussions that happen on a regular basis. The sustainable hunting of wild birds stakeholder forum was established in 2024 and has met on several occasions. The forum comprises a wide range of stakeholders, including the NARGC. Stakeholders are also involved in various fora relating to the development of the nature restoration plan.”
“This ensures that there will be adequate coronial provision in all districts pending the reform of the service to which I alluded earlier. I hope that helps.”
“The heads of the Bill, which will be brought to the Government before the end of the year, will aim to address all aspects of the Coroner Service, including the establishment of an independent office of the chief coroner, who will be responsible for setting standards, providing guidance and overseeing the activities of full-time salaried coroners modelled in line with best practice internationally. Other proposals include reform of the current approach to the provision of coroner-directed autopsies to ensure that families across Ireland have equal access to pathology services and do not experience unnecessary delays. The Coroners (Amendment) Act 2024, which was signed into law in February of last year, makes provision for the assignment and appointment of temporary coroners where workload demands warrant such an assignment.”
“I assure Deputy O'Reilly that our Department is committed to driving the modernisation of the Coroner Service in Ireland, including Dublin, where she outlined the issues many families are experiencing, including her own. The Department has received approval from the Government to draft the general scheme of a Bill to significantly reform the Coroner Service in order to increase efficiencies and minimise the impact of the death investigation process on bereaved people and their families.”
“The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will continue to engage with the Department of Health on this issue in order to assist in improving the delivery of this service, which is of critical importance to bereaved families who are engaged with the Coroner Service.”
“Of the six filled posts, three of the consultants are understood to have decided not to conduct autopsies, meaning that only three consultants are available to conduct in the region of 700 autopsies per year. A pathologist contract does not currently include an obligation to conduct post-mortem examinations, hence what is known as the grace-and-favour model. The Department is ready to assist in finding a solution to this issue in advance of the 1 January deadline. As the post-mortem examination service is largely provided through the health service, a solution clearly cannot be found without significant input and engagement on the part of the HSE.”
“This is resulting in delays for the conduct of such examinations in some parts of the country. Several hospitals in Dublin no longer provide autopsy services to support the work of the Coroner Service. This is causing undue pressure on the system and can cause delays in the conduct of post-mortem examinations in Dublin. In late 2024, University Hospital Waterford, UHW, advised the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration that it intends to withdraw its autopsy service for all coroner-directed autopsies from 1 January 2026. It is understood that there are nine sanctioned posts in UHW for pathologists, however only six are filled. The team at UHW has advised the Department of challenges in filling the remaining three posts.”
“While recognising the significance and sensitivity of the coronial investigation process for loved ones of the bereaved, neither the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration nor his Department can interfere with a coroner in the exercise of their statutory function to investigate deaths. The Department has had direct responsibility for providing financial and administrative support to the Dublin District Coroner’s Office since January 2018. Outside Dublin, the relevant local authorities fund the costs of all other coronial districts. The Minister is aware that the provision of post-mortem examination services nationwide is a significant area of concern at present. As the Deputy noted, pathologists provide the post-mortem examination service on what is known as a grace-and-favour basis.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I had not realised that her mam had passed. She has my condolences and sincere sympathies in that regard. I thank her for sharing her personal experience in the aftermath of the event that is informing our discussion this morning. I am responding on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan. I hope to be able to provide some clarity on some issues and guidance on where we go from here. The Coroner Service comprises a network of coroners in districts throughout the country. A coroner is an independent officeholder who performs a public service by making inquiries into reported deaths.”
“They support their families and their communities through greyhound racing. It is an industry. It is a sector within our community and within our society just as any other sector, whether it is the horse racing industry, the greyhound industry, the food industry or the farming industry. It is the job of Government to support all different subsets within our society and the greyhound industry is no different. I think it merits support. It is not a case of deciding to support the greyhound industry and not support people who need help in other areas of society. That is the job of Government. We try to support every cause within the community as well as possible.”
“The Game Changer campaign, led by Ruhama, is using the influence of sport to challenge harmful behaviour and promote respect. In addition, public awareness is being raised through zero-tolerance campaigns to encourage victims and survivors to come forward and seek support. Each of these steps represents progress towards the one clear goal that no one in Ireland should ever live in fear within their own home. As I mentioned in my earlier contribution, the funding has also increased significantly year on year and that will continue to happen under this Government. I do not accept the Senator's criticism of the funding of the greyhound industry. It is not an either-or. The greyhound industry is an economic driver, particularly in rural areas. People derive a livelihood from it.”