Noel O'Donovan
Nominated by the Taoiseach · Fine Gael · Ireland
“We are not doing enough at a societal level for a health-led approach to prevent drug use. Senator Scahill outlined that An Garda Síochána was not being resourced. We have talked time after time about putting more gardaí into rural Ireland. We need more there.”
“I pay particular credit to the French family for enduring what they had to do during the criminal process and continuing their campaign to bring today about. I commend An Garda Síochána on its work in the area of domestic and sexual violence and the progression it has made in recent years.”
“I want to share in what my colleagues have said and welcome the report of the drugs committee. Our colleagues in the Seanad have put such vital work into it. I agree with the call that it should be a permanent committee. We should have a debate in this House on drugs use, drugs policy and what we are doing as a State.”
“I too welcome David and Veronica to the Gallery on what is an important and emotional day for the French family. As someone who comes from west Cork, I am not too far from Leap. The French family has had widespread support from the people of west Cork in their campaign since the brutal murder of their sister.”
“These are community centres, not just places where they sell alcohol and other substances, which I suppose can cause desperate effects. We need to support rural pubs, which provide a vital service in our countryside. Over 2,000 pubs have closed in recent years.”
“I genuinely thank the Minister for his personal work on this and for the help and support he gave to the French family. We will continue our work, as legislators, to ensure that victims of crime and their families are supported and that those who commit crimes are dealt with properly by the organs and institutions of our State.”
The complete record
Every one of 259 lines we hold for Noel O'Donovan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 6.
“I recently brought a number of stakeholders together in west Cork including the Department's forestry section, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, Cork County Council and various organisations, to communicate with the farmers on a specific issue. To say there was divergence at the meeting would be an understatement. There was even divergence within the NPWS on how it should communicate with farmers. We need to do better. I have a couple of specific questions, one of which is on the carbon tax. I am strongly of the view that we should remove carbon tax on green diesel and agriculture because we do not have alternatives in that space. I welcome carbon tax in terms of its support for retrofitting and the fuel allowance but I believe we should remove it.”
“We continue to manage this crisis while we need to see potentially if we need to do more. Senator Daly raised a very important question. What I am hearing on the ground is that simplification is needed in agriculture for the various schemes that are currently in operation, not the support scheme that is currently put in place for this. Simplification is needed. Outside of the work for this support package, will the Minister consider carrying out a review within the Department of the various schemes and simplifying if at all possible? In recent times the Minister has asked the EU to simplify habitats and nature restoration law to make it more simplified for farmers and to communicate it better. That is a really welcome call and we need to do that within our own Departments as well.”
“It is based on fact, based on emotions and based on reality. It is also important to put on record the level of support that has been provided in the recent package by the Government of €750 million. Some will say it is the biggest package in Europe, while some will say it is the second biggest. I think Malta is a little bit ahead of us. This is €137.87 to every citizen within this country that the Government has provided. That is welcome and badly needed because people are under pressure. As parliamentarians we know that people are under pressure. We feel their pressure and we do our very best to explain and communicate that pressure to the Government or from opposition. That is our role. I genuinely want to put on the record the Minister's work and the Government's work in putting that package in place.”
“The Minister is welcome to the Chamber. We are living in unprecedented times. I think that is not a cliché that can be overused enough at the moment. I respect that the Minister is living through a crisis that is directly affecting his Department and I want to compliment him on how he is handling the crisis, for the Minister's engagement with us as Oireachtas Members, and with the organisations that are deeply affected by the crisis we are living in. We had quite an honest debate here last Tuesday in the Chamber when we spoke about the fuel crisis and the protests. Many of us across the room spoke quite honestly and said that we needed to speak out as parliamentarians and that the Government needed to take lessons, learn lessons and act better. That is the debate we have inside in this Chamber.”
“I agree 100% with what he said and the concerns he had. I alluded to them in my speech. I thank the Minister of State for being here and for listening. I know he will take the concerns of all Senators back to Government but we all, collectively, need to do better to protect this democracy.”
“They are people we all know, including contractors, farmers, electricians and plant hire people, many of whom all of us engage with. We all need to do better for those people. As a Government, we need to analyse policy. We need to go back to basics. The Government has not fallen today, which I welcome. I support the Government and Fine Gael but all of us must do better collectively. That is what we need to do and for my days, weeks and months in this building, I will continue to do that for the people of west Cork who want me here. I know the Minister of State will take on board what I am saying quite genuinely. Yes, we have the freedom of this House to say it. At all times, politicians should speak from the heart and about what they truly believe in. Senator Clonan spoke earlier about being on O'Connell Street.”
“I mentioned earlier the helicopter that was over the building today. That is where we have to be respectful and understanding as politicians. I know Sinn Féin and I watched many Sinn Féin Oireachtas Members go to debates and be treated wrongly in debates at some of those protests, so there is an opportunity for all of us here to stand up and ensure we have a respectful debate. I am glad we have that inside this House and at times, we should have it in the Dáil as well. This is an opportunity within our democracy to protect against the outside forces that we all know are acting and that we all have a duty to stand up against. I am proud to represent west Cork. I am proud of the vast majority of people who live in west Cork, and the vast majority of people who went out to protest peacefully.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here and I genuinely welcome this debate. I spoke earlier on the Order of Business and I was quite straight, honest and direct in what I had to say. On reflection, the key message is probably that in government, as human beings, we all need to take stock at times, reflect, come back and try and do things better. In government, we have that, so that is the key message. I also welcome the widespread and common sense debate that has been had on our democracy and protecting our democracy. I could stand here and attack the Opposition and any other party but today is not the day for that. I respect the Opposition when there is dialogue and debate on policy, financials and whether we should be doing more as a Government. That is where we need to come to.”
“I thank the people across west Cork who have contacted me in recent days. I have not shied away from it, that is, speaking online and taking the abuse and anger. I accept that. I am a public representative. I know who pays for me to be here. I know who paid my fuel to get up here today and I acknowledge that within this House. I will talk about it later. I acknowledge the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the Tánaiste for their engagement with me in the past few days but I will make my views known within this Chamber and within the parliamentary party room that we all need to do better in this State. My views are quite straight.”
“We became Free State and supported the Treaty. As soon as I could work, I went on a building site and worked hard. Hard work is my ethos. The vast majority of the people who went out on protest were good hard-working-class people in this State and I accept, admit and know that. However, there is a but. I accept protest; I do not support blockades. The vast majority of people who protested did not support the blockade either. We have a helicopter circulating over this building today. All of us as public representatives, whether in government or in opposition, need to question where we are getting to. Governments have to learn lessons, as my colleague, Senator Brady, has said. Within my party, we have to reflect. Politics is about leadership, standing up and being strong.”
“On my drive up today, as I do most weeks, I reflected on my role in politics and the job I do. I have been involved in public service for 15 years, be it as a local councillor, as a member of An Garda Síochána or now having the honour of being a member of Seanad Éireann. In public service or in any walk of life, as a human being or being involved in a Government party, it is a sign of strength when you come out and admit you could have done better or that we got something wrong or that we need to improve on things. I speak plainly without notes, without any speaking points and I have not seen anything happen in the Dáil today. I speak for me, as Noel O'Donovan, a citizen and a proud person who lives in west Cork. As for my background, my great-grand-uncle was the first TD for West Cork. He was a Sinn Féin TD for West Cork.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I acknowledge the response. My point is that I do not think the €4.3 million, which I have acknowledged, is enough for local authorities. We need to review how local authorities apply, process and develop coastal infrastructure. I am asking that the Department would review which local authorities work well. Perhaps there is best practice across Europe in respect of how we can develop coastal infrastructure. The work, time and cost that go into these preparatory reports mean local authorities are simply not applying for projects. We can see a vast number of projects have been applied for, but €4.3 million will not cover these. I am asking for a review of how we do this. There is a need for safety and ambitious projects, but we are not doing this well enough.”
“We need a national review of local authorities in terms of coastal marine management to identify what is working, where delays occur and which delivery models are most effective. Some projects progress efficiently while others stall. We should be learning from both. That review should focus on improving the development process, make it more efficient, better resourced and capable of delivering for communities. If we are serious about supporting coastal in rural Ireland, we must both invest in local authorities and reform how they deliver and develop our coastal marine infrastructure. The future of places like west Cork depends on this.”
“I think of Keelbeg pier in Union Hall, Pallas pier near Ardgroom on the Beara Peninsula, where mussel fishermen are in need of a pier extension to work during low tide, as well as the dredging required at Kinsale Harbour for the safety of boat access. I also think of ambitious projects like the development of a new marina in Schull or a marine activity centre in Bantry that simply are not happening. We should be more ambitious for our coastline, but the current process is not working. Local authorities are being asked to deliver more with limited resources. From my experience, they often lack the staffing and funding needed to maintain and develop this essential infrastructure. However, funding alone is not enough.”
“The Minister of State is very welcome and I thank him for being here. The condition of coastal infrastructure in west Cork, indeed throughout the country, particularly piers and slipways is the subject of my Commencement matter. Our coastal infrastructure facilities are not luxuries. They are lifelines for many in our community. They support fishing families, connect island communities and sustain tourism in some of the most economically important parts of rural Ireland and yet many are deteriorating. Years of underinvestment, combined with increasingly severe weather, has left them unsafe, unreliable and unfit for future demand.”
“A garda tries to do his or her work, puts the hours in and takes the CCTV material and statements, and then in court the defendant is left with a sentence not befitting the work and hours that were put into it, never mind the devastating effects the crime will have had on the injured party, or the 26 or 28 convictions the person standing in the box might have. That is where we need to think about this legislation a bit differently. We need to do things differently. A stand-alone offence has been mentioned and should be examined. This is a common-sense and pragmatic Bill. I commend Senator P.J. Murphy and call on the Minister to think outside the box.”
“It is not in some ways about the monetary value of it. It is what that tool can do. To lose that tool or have that tool stolen is quite serious to that person. Much has been spoken about the construction sector and how we need to build more homes. We really need to think outside the box in looking at this legislation. We are seeing theft in rural Ireland and in west Cork. Thankfully, my father and uncles would not have seen the theft of tools, but we do see theft in parts of rural Ireland. There is cattle rustling going on in west Cork and this type of theft is no different. In An Garda Síochána, as the Minister will know from his period in the courts, there are frustrations at bringing these types of cases to the courts in terms of the sentencing. There are genuine frustrations.”
“Like other speakers, I commend Senator Murphy on bringing forward this Private Members' Bill. It is very smart legislation. It is very much thinking outside the box. Like other speakers, I would really appeal to the Minister to consider the merits of this legislation. In some ways, I speak from lived experience on this matter. My father and uncles are builders. I would have grown up on a building site on my summer holidays, working on roofs, putting up scaffolding or doing the hard work, as we speak of it in rural Ireland. I also have experience from my years as a member of An Garda Síochána in the element of investigating and prosecuting those who would have been involved in such crimes. Speaking from my period on a building site, a builder's or carpenter's tools are like his left and right arm.”
“We have guest accommodation and holiday home lets that cannot bring people in because they do not have basic sanitary facilities. This is rural west Cork. We deserve the same level of treatment as other parts of this country. We are asking Uisce Éireann to have a dynamic approach. I must put on the record my appreciation for Uisce Éireann's carrying out major works, but we are asking for temporary measures before they are carried out.”
“The local community has requested that a temporary pipe be put in along that certain section before the major upgrades can be done. This is an issue that has been raised in the Dáil and the Seanad. RTÉ did a news feature on it last weekend. It has risen to national prominence. I call on Uisce Éireann to have a dynamic approach to this issue. When the major works are under construction, a temporary pipe will be put in, but we are asking for one to be put in prior to this. The reality is that this is for elderly people who live in their homes and receive home help. There is one gentleman who could not be washed by his home care assistant last week because he did not have water. A new business, the Wild Atlantic Bar, has functions this weekend and cannot plan them.”
“Many will know the village of Adrigole on the Beara Peninsula between Glengarriff and Castletownbere. It is a lovely scenic area. What Members might not be aware of is the strength of community and purpose behind the village. That community, which has a population of between 450 and 500 people, has suffered 30 water breaks since last May. The strength of community and purpose there has led to the formation of a committee and public meetings about the water situation. I have raised the matter in the House a number of times. Thankfully, Uisce Éireann has agreed to complete a mains rehabilitation along a section there. Works are to commence in the next number of months and to be completed by July. However, there have been continual breaks in recent weeks.”
“The timeline of the working group is important and I ask for an indication as to what it will be. There is an immediate financial ask because factories do not have fish and boats cannot go out. There have been and will be further job losses, so the timeline is important. I again wish the Minister of State well in his work.”
“We have a generational opportunity to sort out the fishing sector. All of us, including the Department and Governments, have blame for why we are here, but we can move forward together by listening, engaging, putting the proper financial supports in place and making policy changes that are required. Some will say that the Minister of State has been dealt a hard hand and has a difficult task, but he has a golden opportunity. I genuinely wish him well. He has to do well for the communities we represent. There have been various documentaries on the fisheries sector, which includes trawler workers and the dangers, threats and loss of life faced by people who work in the industry. We owe it to the industry to address the issues. I have said a few times that we need to grasp this opportunity.”
“I ask for a clear statement on whether the Commission has views on that. The timing is imminent. Mackerel stocks are in this country at the start of the year. Timing for the Irish sector is important and we need agreement on that. I ask for an answer on that. I welcome the announcement that the group will be set up in February. It is important that the terms of reference be broad. We are at a crossroads in terms of the fishing sector. We cannot go backwards, but we can move forward. We have a generational opportunity to change our fishing communities for inshore and offshore. It is important that this can bring about change in terms of stabilisation funding for our inshore fishermen and support for our pelagic fishers who are suffering losses. We have to support the net and boat builders in our communities.”
“There has been a reaction on social media and the dangers of protests across Europe because a European process is not listening well enough. Do we have movement on the legal opinion? Senator Boyle explained how the Nordic countries were increasing their total allowable catch in terms of mackerel. I welcome the conversation the Minister of State had with the Commission on that last week. What does he feel is the Commission's view on this? There are technical discussions going on, but will they stand up? This is an opportunity. The Nordic countries can be blamed for overfishing, but this is an opportunity to move from blame to agreement where we can all fish waters and achieve a fair catch. That is where I would like to see the conversation moved to. Rather than blaming Nordic countries, we could instead have an agreement.”
“I do not find myself agreeing with Sinn Féin a lot of the time, but my colleague, Senator Andrews, has expressed how we all feel about the sector and what needs to happen. Before Christmas, I spoke after the December Fisheries Council about the European process, explaining how I considered myself to be a proud European but also how we felt we were betrayed by Europe. I do not think we can lose sight of that fact. I have a couple of opinions and questions. I raised the legal opinion at a committee before Christmas. Have we received a response to a legal opinion on challenging the non-acceptance of the Hague preferences? It is a real change in how Europe treats this country and small nations. I am not questioning the European process, but European leaders have to question their processes and how they treat small countries.”
“I want to make a couple of brief points and will try not to repeat a lot of what has been said already. I welcome the debate on the fishing sector. Any discussion about fishing and supporting our communities across the nation that need a strong fishing sector is a welcome debate. I want to genuinely thank the Minister of State for his engagement with the sector over the Christmas period. He travelled to Castletownbere and Killybegs. As I have said time after time, engaging and listening is the most important thing that we do and the actions of the Minister of State were well respected by the community in Castletownbere. He took on board some of the basic suggestions made. It is to be hoped those will feed into the new fishing group that is being set up.”
“However, driving on the main road into west Cork, from Bandon to Clonakilty to Rosscarbery and on to Skibbereen, is like driving through a third world country. On the front page of the Southern Star , there is a picture of councillors standing in potholes in the middle of Clonakilty. That is how bad it is. This year, we need to see proper investment. You could spend half an hour to 40 minutes in complete congestion when trying to drive through the village of Inishannon. We in west Cork have been treated like third world citizens for 40 years. We need to see proper investment in the N71 for all. I will keep talking about this until there is proper investment. This is common-sense politics, and that is what we need in terms of road maintenance, drainage and proper investment.”
“We provide funding for the maintenance of roads, but we do not give discretionary funding for drainage to area offices. We give a little, but it is not enough. We must change the policy. I would welcome a debate with the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien, in this House on the basic issue of road drainage and maintenance. The dogs in the street in west Cork know what needs to happen, but we need to change the policy here in Dublin. I have raised the N71, the only national route in west Cork, as a Commencement matter and on the Order of Business. The N71 needs to be properly developed. People listening to this on social media or in the Chamber will know west Cork and the beauty of all towns and villages there.”
“I am not exaggerating when I talk about the volume of representations I have received in my office about the condition the roads are in. Since I became an elected politician in 2011, issues relating to condition and the proper maintenance of our roads have not been solved. We have given an extra €80 million to Cork County Council but we cannot keep the water off our roads. I am talking here about the policy relating to drainage and maintenance. This might sound basic and might be seen as an issue that should not be discussed in the House, but it is a waste of money and there is also a serious danger to the lives of the people who travel on our roads. A driving instructor in Skibbereen in west Cork has spoken about young drivers failing their driving tests because of the dangers on our roads. We must change the policy.”
“We debate many topics, from healthcare issues to fishing issues, in this House. It is always matters of policy that we are looking to change. An issue that has come up in west Cork in recent weeks - it arises issue annually - is the condition of our roads. This is a topic I often raise in this Chamber. I am going to focus on national and local roads. We are going to see an announcement of funding in the coming weeks from the Department and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to local authorities for the maintenance of our roads. On local and regional roads, Cork County Council got an increase of over €18 million last year, which was welcome. However, the condition of the roads at present is absolutely diabolical.”
“They want to know if they have a future in the industry. They are the questions we need to answer. I would advise anyone to get into the industry, but we need to have a plan going forward. We need to hold Europe to account, stand up and be strong and good Europeans.”
“It lands at a pier in Dingle, puts its stock into a Spanish lorry and, rather than going back to France where it should go, it goes back to Spain without any checks. That is what is happening day in, day out and week in, week out. We need to see change in that regard. We need to see an urgent review of the Common Fisheries Policy once and for all. We need to see the Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries in here. I must admit he is doing a good job and did a good job last week. Ultimately, we got no deal, which was better than a bad deal. We need to see the Minister of State back in here. We need to see financial supports, which the industry does not want but we need to make sure that we have a future for the fishing industry. There are young fishers watching this debate and the earlier committee.”
“That is all as a result of last week's decisions because it was big business that controlled this decision. That is what angers me and so many people I represent. The Common Fisheries Policy and the relative stability that was put in place with the Hague preferences to support our coastal nation and coastal waters are being blown out of the water. Our communities are now asking that we make a stand and examine a legal case. If the legal case cannot be taken, we should look at the common control policies that we have. A French boat was crashing against rocks in Dingle Harbour last weekend. That was difficult to see, but thanks to our emergency services, there was no loss of life. That is a French-registered boat, owned by a Spanish company, that has quoted a catch totalling almost 50% of the stocks of our monkfish quota.”
“I class myself as a good, proud European but I can honestly say that - I will not mince my words - the fishers of this country and I felt utterly betrayed by the results of the December AGRIFISH Council last week. People will know the history of the fishing industry and I have said many times in this Chamber and at the fishing committee that successive Governments and Departments have failed this industry and have not stood strong in Europe. Last week changed that, however. Organisations, including the Irish Fishing and Seafood Alliance, and the Government stood together. Officials were there but we did not get a fair result. I am beginning to question the European process. There are people now questioning whether we should be in Europe.”
“I know there have been some concerns, including from the accountants association of Ireland, about the auto-enrolment set-up in terms of GDPR. As we move forward with this process, it is important that we listen and iron out any glitches or recommendations that are there from industry. Businesses are dealing with a lot at the moment in terms of increased costs so we need to make this transition and this process as smooth as possible for them. I commend the Minister's work on the budget and on the introduction of auto-enrolment.”
“No, but they move us decisively in the right direction towards social welfare rates that better track living costs and wages. As has often been mentioned, this is budget one of five. I am sure that in the years ahead, we will see further improvements for those most in need of financial support. I understand the Bill relates to auto-enrolment. As I have said in the House before, I view auto-enrolment through a number of lenses: as an employee, as an employer in a family business but also now as a legislator with a focus on the duty we have to provide for people in the years ahead. It is a really positive piece of legislation. I commend the previous Minister, the current Minister and his officials for progressing it. It is something we must proceed with in the years ahead.”
“That is an extra €140 over the fuel season, targeted at those most at risk of choosing between eating and heating in the depths of winter. We are not relying solely on once-off payments - yes, there will be a Christmas bonus paid this month to over 1.4 million long-term welfare recipients because the core of this budget is about permanent improvements to income, and not just short-term fixes. Families in low-paid work are also being supported. The working family payment threshold will rise by €60 per week across all family sizes. Families in receipt of this payment will qualify for fuel allowance for the first time, backdated to January. This is about making work pay and ensuring that moving into employment does not mean losing vital supports. Are these measures the end of the road?”
“We are delivering the largest increase in child support payments in the history of the State, up by €16 a week for children over 12 years of age and €8 for children under 12 years of age. That is a direct investment in tackling child poverty and helping parents who are being squeezed by rent, food and back-to-school costs. We are also recognising in a concrete way the enormous contribution of carers. Carer's allowance and carer's benefit will rise by €10 a week. The income disregard for carer's allowance will rise sharply to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple. That means more families will qualify for support without being penalised with modest earnings. For older people and those struggling with energy costs, the fuel allowance will increase from €33 to €38 per week.”
“Like other speakers, I want to congratulate the Minister, along with his team and the officials in his Department, on his first budget. I wish to support the budget and in particular the social welfare measures at its heart. At a time of high costs for many households, this budget says something simple but powerful, which is that the State will not turn its back on those who most rely on it. From January, as has been mentioned, there will be a €10 increase in most weekly social welfare payments for pensioners, jobseekers, carers, people with disabilities, most importantly, and low-income families. That is not abstract; that is money in the pockets of people who spend money daily and need it. Crucially, this is not just about base rates.”
“Let it not go unsaid either that there are challenges in terms of water quality. The farming community has acted well so far, but there are still challenges. The committee that was set up by the Department, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste is an overall water quality committee, not a derogation committee. It includes EPA members and Department officials. Let us work ahead to improve water quality in the years ahead. However, this is a positive decision for rural communities and sustaining our rural fabric.”
“Following on, as with any issue when there is a win, there are challenges going forward in other areas, and in terms of the fishing community, there are important decisions coming up. With successes, we always move on to the next issue. I wish the Minister well in terms of those issues that are going to be coming up because sustaining rural life, whether in terms of fishing, farming or tourism, is really important. Yesterday, I visited Bere Island, on the periphery of west Cork, to see some of the challenges they have there, living on a rural island. There are still some challenges there. However, today is a positive day. Tomorrow and so forth we will have other issues to raise, but I put on record the appreciation for the Minister for this result, because it is positive.”
“It was a particularly difficult topic over the past number of years, but the Minister has taken it on quite seriously, engaged with farmers, listened and visited west Cork during the summer months. We have all seen his conviction in terms of supporting it, and we have achieved the result with an extension. Some 66% of Carbery Group suppliers in west Cork are in the derogation. Some of these are big farmers with 200 to 300 cows, but 43% have zero to 70 cow operations and 77% have 70 to 120 cows. It is actually small, indigenous farmers within our communities who are going to benefit from this derogation. I put on record my appreciation for the Minister's involvement.”
“Sometimes we get asked by people of a younger generation and various generations what politics is about and about the importance of it. Today's results in terms of the extension of a derogation explains the importance of politics and representation in politics, where we listen, understand issues, lobby and try to persuade decision makers of the importance of certain policy decisions. Today's decision on the extension of derogation is not just a win for the farming community, it is a win for the totality of rural Ireland and the rural social fabric in our communities. I pay tribute to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, those at all levels of government and Department officials, but in particular, our Minister for agriculture, for their work in securing the derogation for this country.”
“A traffic study is to start there but we need to ensure we have the required infrastructure and facilities, including childcare facilities and school places, following on from the building of the homes. I have met people in my clinics who cannot get places for students in Clonakilty because of the current school infrastructure. We need to see delivery at the convent. I made the point locally that bats and birds are important, but so too is a safe education. We need to see the common-sense delivery of these projects. I thank the Minister of State.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am delighted to have confirmation that the school project has now moved to stage 2a. That is extremely welcome and the school’s management will be delighted to hear it. There is still a way to go on this issue, however. I assure the people of Clonakilty and the rest of west Cork that I will be raising it here until we see construction commence at the school. We recently noted that planning permission was granted for over 200 homes in Clonakilty. That is really welcome as Clonakilty is a hub town for west Cork. When we see the construction of homes, infrastructure must follow. We have roads issues in Clonakilty.”
“On its website, the school has a quote attributed to W.B. Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” The school’s development and construction works certainly need to have a fire lit under them. The students and staff of Sacred Heart Secondary School deserve a safe, modern learning environment. They deserve certainty and action. I thank the Minister of State for being here.”
“The management want: a definitive timeframe for progressing the project to stage 2a; clear phasing information for the full project so the school knows what change to expect and when to expect it; urgent enabling works, particularly for the boarding house and the technology room; a response to the submitted refurbishment plans for the technology room; and immediate action to address the structural deterioration, pest issues and leaks in the convent building. The school community understands the complexities involved, but after 16 years the level of frustration is entirely understandable. Sacred Heart is a thriving, dynamic school doing everything asked of it and it deserves facilities that reflect the quality of education it provides. I ask today for a clear update on the status and clarity on when stage 2a will commence.”
“The school should be focusing on supporting learning, not on trying to keep ahead of leaks, dry rot and rodents. The situation is no longer just about long-term planning and capital investment, it is also about safety, including the safety of students, teachers and everyone working in the school. The school’s management is seeking clarity on several key points. I want to put these formally on the record of the House.”
“The building has been assessed as being in poor condition, yet it is used every day by students and staff because there is nowhere else for them to go. From a health and safety point of view, this is not acceptable in 2025. The technology room, an extremely popular and vital subject area, now has visible dry rot. Detailed refurbishment plans and costings were submitted to the Department some time ago but there has been no response. School management fears that the room will soon be deemed unsafe and unsuitable. If that happens, students will lose access to key curricular facilities. Even more worrying, there is a growing rodent problem in parts of the building. Pest-control contractors have raised serious concerns that parts of the old convent building may now be acting as a breeding ground for rats. This requires immediate intervention.”