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.”
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“There have been 16 years of waiting, meetings, submitting documents and seeking progress. The project was approved in principle for stage 2a. Additional information has been submitted by the design team, but, to date, the school has received no timeline and no indication as to when the project will move to the next phase. Following my recent visit to the school, I have been deeply concerned about what I saw. The old convent building, where progress has already been delayed because of the presence of bats, is now leaking again at the roof. Pigeons have re-entered part of the structure despite previous works. These are not minor issues; this is a building that is deteriorating rapidly. More worrying still is the former boarding house.”
“Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, is a high-achieving all-girls school that has been at the heart of education in west Cork since 1941. With 544 students, it continues to excel academically, culturally and socially. Recently, I welcomed a group of girls from the school to Leinster House to present to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Martin Heydon, their project as one of the five groups of national finalists in the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition. The school is delivering on many levels other than the academic level and it continues to excel every day. Despite the exceptional efforts of the school community, those in the school are operating in conditions that are simply not good enough. The school has been seeking building works for 16 years.”
“I was enjoying my game of waving across the Chamber to the students. They are very welcome. I hope they enjoy their day. I congratulate the Minister of State on his recent appointment. It is my first opportunity to do so here in the Chamber. As always, it is an honour to be in his presence. He is a man who has weathered many storms in political life and had sunny days as well. The way he conducts his business across the House and across the party is a lesson for us all. I congratulate him, his family and his supporters at home. This matter relates to the urgent need for progress on the long-awaited school building at Sacred Heart Secondary School in Clonakilty. It has been dragging on for far too long. The situation on the ground has reached the point where health and safety concerns cannot be ignored any longer.”
“These are the fundamental revision of quota shares, reflecting Ireland’s role as a major coastal state; fair burden sharing for the post-Brexit era; stronger protection for our waters; a policy that rewards climate responsibility; and one strong Irish negotiating position that is cross-departmental, at ministerial level and involving stakeholders. The fishing industry is not seeking special treatment; it is seeking fair treatment, a fair share of the resource that surrounds this island and a fair chance to survive. My commitment, which I hope is the commitment of this House, is to stand with our fishermen, crews, processors and coastal towns and villages throughout the country. Ireland is a proud maritime nation and deserves fairness. By God, we will fight for it.”
“There is potential in the industry that must be recognised. It is not too late to continue to carry out this work. However, national measures alone cannot correct a structural injustice created at European level. That is why the upcoming December Agriculture and Fisheries Council and a much talked about review of the Common Fisheries Policy are critical for the industry’s survival. The Seafood Alliance has some clear points in an emergency plan. I urge the Minister of State to ensure Ireland enters the upcoming negotiations and the Common Fisheries Policy review with clear priorities.”
“These large operators are Irish employers. They support Irish ports and processing and operate under Irish rules and the Irish tax regime. They are not the cause of our historical disadvantage. The root problem has always been the size of the deal Ireland received, not the size of the boats that stayed loyal to this country. What can we do now, within our own control? First, we must have targeted financial supports to modernise the fleet and sustain processors. Second, there should be a succession plan benefiting young people who want to enter the industry. We have a green certificate for farming, so let us have a blue certificate for the fishing industry. Third, we should ensure sensible consolidation in both the fleet and processing sector, not ports. However, we need to support this.”
“The central question now is how Ireland can continue in the context of its current quota share. The facts say that we cannot do so, not if we expect thriving ports, viable processors and a meaningful future for the next generation of Irish fishermen. There is another threat we must confront, and that is the danger of division. Some would set inshore against offshore and small boats against large boats. Division serves others in Europe but it does not serve Ireland well. If we go to Brussels divided, we go weakened. If we stand together, we stand strong. I am glad to see much progress in recent years to bring unity to the sector. I want to tackle a damaging myth that can often be peddled in the media, including social media, namely the idea that Ireland’s challenges are the fault of a handful of so-called large fishermen.”
“To understand today’s crisis, we must be honest about how we got here. When Ireland entered the Common Fisheries Policy in the 1980s, it had extensive waters and stocks but ended up with a deal that has brought us to where we are now. The deal we accepted then was deeply unfair and its consequences have shaped every decade since. Climate change has added pressures on stocks. Visiting fleets, as Senator Boyle mentioned, have added more to worsening the crisis within the industry. This is having an impact on communities that they can no longer sustain. The Irish fishing community has called out overfishing for years, but what it had to say in that regard has fallen on deaf ears in Europe. We have to be honest about that. The dogs in the street know what has happened in the fishing sector.”
“It is not happening any more. That, to me, is wrong. There is a sense of injustice in the fishing industry. When you talk to people, they will blame politicians and say fishing is a lost cause and that nothing can be done. They are right to say it, but there is a small minority still in existence who have hope. They see hope on the horizon that fishing finally has a place and is going to be taken seriously by the Government. We have to have results in the coming years to sustain that hope. I am delighted to formally second this motion on the future of the fishing industry. The sector that sustained coastal communities for generations and now faces one of the most difficult periods in its history. To be straight and honest without being alarmist, it faces total annihilation.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. It is really welcome that fisheries are being discussed by means of this motion. That is not to say the issue of fisheries has not been discussed in decades gone by. With the programme for Government and the introduction of a Minister of State for the marine and fisheries and a committee to discuss fisheries, however, there is now a new and solid footing for representing the issues here. As the Minister of State is aware, I represent west Cork, which has a proud fishing tradition at many of its ports. I developed an interest in fishing with my late uncle. We did a bit of leger fishing, ending up at the pier at Union Hall to watch the boats coming in and out. I remember the size of the fish coming in, including the big tuna. I used to love to be there to watch it all happening.”
“I would welcome a debate with the new Minister with responsibility for disability to see what action will be taken to ensure we have respite. We are in 2025. If any of us want to stay anywhere in the world we go to booking.com and check availability and calendars. Why can families in this country not go online and check availability for respite care? We have people who have never got respite care. They are doing the job of the State and getting very little support for it. I hope the Leader will appreciate my emotion on this because I am trying to transfer what I am hearing when I speak to these family members. We need to see change in this drastically and very soon.”
“We do respite well in some parts of the country but in other areas, there are serious blackspots. At ministerial level and in the HSE we need to hold to account areas of the country and organisations that do not provide respite. I speak to parents who are at their wits' end in trying to support family members. I speak to siblings in family set-ups who question whether they should have taken on the care of family members because of the difficulties they face. This is not a place any human being should be in. I feel a duty to raise this and speak about it here. Recently there was an increase in the disability budget of €600 million, which is welcome, but we need to see how the money will be spent throughout the country.”
“I want to raise an issue I have raised a number of times in the House, and this is the issue of respite care for young people with intellectual and physical disabilities and older people with disabilities. I referred to a situation in west Cork where we have a severe deficit in respite care. It is an issue that has become more apparent. Last week in west Cork we had an AGM for CoAction and in the room there was frustration, anger and deep worry among parents about the level of respite care available in west Cork. It is something I feel beholden to raise here. Yes, I am a member of a Government party but respite care in west Cork is unavailable. It is something we need to fix. Recently I met Family Carers Ireland and they spoke about conducting a national audit.”
“We need to make sure that this delivery of funding reaches our communities. Again, I thank the Minister of State for his work. It is so vitally important.”
“Today, as public representatives - councillors, Senators, TDs and Ministers - we have to write to a Minister's office or pick up the phone and go through an Oireachtas line to Uisce Éireann. There is no single place where we can get timely and updated information on where these plants are. For the Government, the State and taxpayers, having invested this money, it would be beneficial if Uisce Éireann improved its communication. We are in 2025. There should be a website where we can log on and see where the upgrade is on this. Last Friday night, I and more than 100 people who cannot get access to reliable, quality water attended a meeting in Ardigole on the Beara Peninsula. There are schools, family resource centres and people with disabilities being affected by breaks in mains. We need improved communication.”
“The emphasis is on increasing the number of houses and the number of areas where we can build, but we cannot lose sight of areas where there are clear pollution issues as well. To Senator Kyne's point, we are investing all this money, over €12 billion, in Uisce Éireann but we need to see the plan. We need clear communication on where this money is being invested. I recall in my time on Cork County Council that once a quarter, the council would present to the western division meeting a clear list of the projects it was engaged in and give updates on where those plants were. Sometimes there were no updates or a minor update, but we knew those projects were on a list somewhere and there was an update given.”
“That is where we need to take local authorities to task in terms of now engaging as well. Let us be straight about this: there is a breakdown between Uisce Éireann and certain local authorities. Politicians, the Government and others across the board are getting the blame for that. We need to see change there. I wish to raise a number of other wastewater infrastructure issues across west Cork because these are the issues we are hearing. In Shannonvale, we have historic issues. In Rosscarbery, the town where I live, and Ballydehob we have septic tanks and glorified septic tanks that release into the sea and cause Armageddon-type scenarios during the summer months along much of our coastline. It is important that we do not forget about the plants that need upgrading.”
“That is also a pragmatic approach. When we announced the news that we would develop these plants going forward, I received a number of calls from residents living in estates with plants that have not been taking in charge. It is a timely reminder of that. I share some of the views expressed by Senator Rabbitte on ensuring local authorities have the same vision and plan. It is critical that there is a common design, with one circular going to local authorities. I have mentioned to the Minister of State in the past that we have an issue in Dunmanway in west Cork with the plant. We now have possibilities, with the development of these private developer-led plants. The planning authority is unwilling to engage with developers with single applicants that are wanting to build at this stage.”
“While I support all my colleagues from the Galway area, it is no harm to move the conversation southwards to the rebel county. Like other speakers, there has been some repetition in the praise of the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Browne, for bringing proposals to the Cabinet recently, which they are implementing. In my time in this Chamber, the proposal for private developer-led wastewater infrastructure is one of the most common-sense pragmatic solutions I have seen. I genuinely compliment the Minister of State's work on that. It is going to be a game changer. I welcome the fact that there is going to be a buy-in between the local authorities and the EPA in the construction of these plants to ensure they are taken in charge when they are completed. We have to learn the lessons from the past in that regard.”
“I am seeking a debate with the Minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works in light of recent flooding events. There is an early warning system that can be put in place in Bantry. There is a monitor which records the level of flow in the culvert in question. It has been in place for three years. Last Tuesday morning, the highest level of water passing through that culvert was recorded. We should have an early warning system. We should have the technology - and the science behind it - to alert both local authorities and the fire service, but, importantly, to also alert residents and business owners that their properties could be at risk. I am making a clear ask of the OPW and local authority in Cork to put that in place. I would welcome a debate on the matter with the Minister with responsibility for the OPW in due course.”
“I raise the issue of flooding in Bantry, which I raised on the Order of Business earlier this week. Since then, it has become known that 22 businesses flooded in the town the other morning. As I said on local radio yesterday morning, it is tough for public representatives to go on radio and speak about flooding because we are not the people who have to open the businesses and see the devastation or the people living in homes where they cannot go to bed at night without the fear that their lives will be at risk. In Bantry, an overall flood scheme is progressing. The overall timeline for it is up to 2030 or 2031, which is a number of years away. In the meantime a culvert can be upgraded and that work needs to be progressed.”
“In the meantime, a culvert will be developed in Bantry, which has now got planning permission as well as funding recently from the OPW to continue final design works. However, that is still a year or 18 months away. We need to keep the pressure on to make sure this is delivered for Bantry. Other representatives in west Cork and I cannot be taking phone calls from business people and individuals who have had their properties washed out. We need to keep the pressure on in Bantry. I understand and appreciate this is the Order of Business, but I will be putting down a Commencement matter on this issue as well because delivery is needed for this in Bantry today, not tomorrow.”
“We need to see the derogation remain in place for Ireland going forward. Unfortunately, Bantry was flooded again last night. Up to ten businesses in the town were flooded. It is hard as a public representative to be getting calls from business owners and people living in the town, watching videos of them brushing out their businesses again and being asked why it has happened again. I want to be straight - Bantry has been the forgotten town in west Cork in terms of flood schemes. We have seen them delivered in Skibbereen, Clonakilty and Bandon, but Bantry has been forgotten about and politics has failed there in recent years. I also want to be clear to the people of Bantry that the overall flood scheme is coming in 2030 and 2031.”
“I join my colleagues in commending the IFA and the farming community on the sheer show of force that was evident in Corrin Mart last night. As Members will know, I have spoken about derogation on many occasions in this Chamber on. Derogation is deeply and urgently required by the communities I represent in west Cork and in some other parts of the country. The European Commissioner is coming on Friday. She is coming to listen, hear and understand the unique system that we have in terms of our grass-based model. It is clear from the message that emanated from Corrin Mart last night that we need our derogation to stay. Our water quality is improving - it needs to improve further - but we are making an effort. Our farming community is making the strides necessary to improve water quality.”
“The electricity grid and water and wastewater services need to be improved but when we see increased funding, we need to see efficiencies and delivery on the ground. We need to improve how Uisce Éireann and other State bodies communicate that delivery back to public representatives. I call for a debate with the Minister for housing to hear his plans to ensure State agencies spend money wisely. We all as public representatives email, phone and write to Uisce Éireann and it is deeply frustrating to get updates that take a long time. There is scope to put in place a website or a better communication method for public representatives at all levels to communicate the work being done.”
“I welcome the fact the Minister for Health and the Tánaiste have met the family of Harvey Morrison Sherratt recently but let us not forget why the motion is put down and let us call it out for what it is. I, too, have seen the Tánaiste at work on a daily basis here. Let us not forget the threats made on his life and against his family. We need to be careful as public representatives. When motions are put down and go to social media, that is the effect they can have, so I call out this motion directly. I have raised in this House on a number of occasions the issue of infrastructure and the lack thereof in constituencies across the country. I welcome the additional funding put into infrastructure in the budget.”
“I echo my colleagues' disappointment in learning of the motion of no confidence in our party leader, the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris. Let us be straight here: the dogs in the street know the exact reason the motion is being put down. It is because we have a presidential election next week. It is the greatest form of populist politics - I would call it pathetic politics. I hope the general public will see what it actually is. We have a duty as public representatives to call Government and the political parties to account if there are issues or challenges or issues in our communities not being worked on, but this is populist politics at its very best. At the heart of this are scoliosis and spina bifida issues.”
“There is scope at ministerial level for the Minister for local government and local authorities to ensure that when works commence in a town there is discretion to support businesses. We will see similar in the town of Bantry shortly, which will undergo flood culvert works. Again, the town and businesses will need support. I suggest we support our chambers of commerce and business associations in the work they do to support businesses in towns. We have seen how well the support for agricultural shows has worked throughout the country, which have been given €5,000, €6,000 or €7,000. Our business associations support businesses in towns, including with Christmas lights and various events. A body of work could be done to look to next year's budget to support the chambers of commerce and businesses and communities.”
“They are busy businesses. I have continually made the point that businesses have extremely high footfall, yet are still struggling. As Senator Scahill said, we need to be even more proactive in the months and years ahead. We need to ask these businesses questions and listen to them. Local enterprise offices can play a role. They arrange conferences, meetings and workshops, but there is a benefit to knocking on the doors of businesses and asking them questions. I have some suggestions for next year's budget. The town of Bandon is currently going through major public realm work, which is welcome and transformative for the town. During the process, however, businesses have suffered in terms of footfall and revenue, yet the local authority has very little discretion in terms of a rates waiver. The car park in Bandon has been finished.”
“I thank the Senator for his kind offering. Like other speakers, I want to commend the Minister on his work on this budget. It is a prudent budget and what we have come to expect from the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. The Minister said in his contribution that there are 2.82 million people in work. When I left college in 2011, the jobs market was quite bleak. We can never forget where we have come from and where we are now. People have a reason to get up in the morning, go to work and earn a fair living to support themselves and their families. It is a major hallmark that we should never forget. The Minister referenced the 9% VAT rate, something for which he has campaigned for a long number of years. West Cork has a large number of businesses that have engaged with me on this issue and will benefit from the VAT reduction.”
“I commend my colleague, Senator Manus Boyle, for the work he has put in to fight for the fishing community. We now need to see action at an EU level and a national level. There will not be a fishing community unless we see improvements and proper fair access to quotas. I ask for a proper debate in this Chamber with the Minister of State. We need a conversation quite urgently on it.”
“We know full well the quotas and the stock that we have around our coast, but our quotas and what we can catch is not reflected in what we are given. I was talking to a fisherman over the weekend. He gave the figures quite rightly. Before Brexit, he was allowed to catch 600 tonnes of mackerel. After Brexit, this was reduced to 263 tonnes. This will be down to 78 tonnes if the proposed cuts come in. Fishing communities are going to be wiped out across west Cork - in Castletownbere, Baltimore, Unionhall and Kinsale. We can forget about a fishing community in Ireland. There have been positive lights in the programme for Government. We have a Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries. However, we now need to stand up at an EU level.”
“I want to raise the issue of the serious challenges facing the fishing community. On Saturday I spent some time in Castletownbere with a friend of the Cathaoirleach's, and a former Deputy, Noel Harrington. We engaged with many in the fishing community. To say that there is a sense of shock and fear about what lies on the horizon is an understatement. We Senators speak passionately in this Chamber on issues and inequality as we see it in society on the national and international stage. The fishing community is sick to death of what it has had to face in generations and years gone by and this needs to be rectified. I speak quite frequently about our farming community and putting on the green jersey, as we do to hold derogation. It is time that we stand up at a national level and fight for our fishing community on an international level.”
“I am asking the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, for the inclusion of the N71 in the national development plan and that a clear co-ordinated corridor plan be put in place once and for all. Between Cork County Council, TII and the Department of Transport, the N71 is getting lost. That cannot continue to be the case. I thank the Minister of State for being here.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his comments. I acknowledge the work he has committed to in engaging with me and listening to further suggestions, and the time he gave recently in west Cork looking at various stretches of road. The majority of the response from the Department and TII refers to projects in other parts of the county. I asked clearly for a co-ordinated corridor plan for west Cork. The town of Clonakilty is not mentioned in the response and there is nothing planned for the village of Innishannon. According to the responses I have received, they are not included in the national development plan. The N71 is not included in the national development plan. In the coming weeks and months we will go into more detail about what is included in the national development plan.”
“I put it to the Minister of State, and I say this with respect but also with resolve, that west Cork has waited long enough and the N71 has waited long enough. Our region has carried its share of national growth and deserves its share of national investment. As a proud west Cork native and a Fine Gael Senator working for west Cork, I will continue to raise this issue in the Seanad and beyond. I will work constructively with the Minister of State, his Department and colleagues across all parties but I will also hold every one of us to account, myself included, for delivery that has been missing for far too long. After 40 years of neglect, it is time to deliver. West Cork deserves a safe, modern and fair N71, one that reflects the value of the people and the region it serves.”
“We are common sense, practical people. We are asking for equality. Over recent decades, other parts of the country have received transformative investment, and rightly so. West Cork now deserves similar treatment. Every visitor who drives onto the N71 from the Bandon road roundabout can see exactly where investment stops. That is not just bad optics; it is bad economics. It sends a clear message that west Cork has been left behind. It is time to change that. I am calling today for a co-ordinated corridor plan for the entire N71, from Innishannon through Bandon, Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry and on to Glengarriff. We cannot continue a piecemeal, town-by-town announcement that goes nowhere. We need one joined-up vision backed by funding and timelines to make the N71 reliable for all who depend on it.”
“Recently, we have heard talks of so-called hints of funding for the N71. The people of west Cork deserve better. We deserve more than hints. We want clear action and a plan. Our infrastructure in west Cork has been neglected for years. We see plenty in terms of social media delivery but we have yet to see tangible delivery where it matters on the ground. We need certainty and a clear multiyear funding commitment to bring this vital road up to modern standards. That means proper bypasses of our key towns; proper passing lanes; the realignment of dangerous bends and junctions; new surfaces, drainage and signage; and safe walking and cycling links near our schools and villages. These are not luxuries; they are the basic expectations for any national route in this country. We the people of west Cork are not asking for a motorway.”
“The N71 is west Cork’s lifeline. It carries our families, farmers, students and workers and our many visitors. It brings food from our fields and fish from our harbours to market. It sustains our tourism economy. For years, we have heard talk about feasibility studies, potential funding and future phases, but talk does not fill potholes and hints of funding do not build bypasses. While the N22 to Kerry has been transformed and the N20 to Limerick is being advanced towards motorway standard, our N71 still carries the same pinch points, bottlenecks and risks that existed two generations ago. That is not acceptable in 2025. Since I was elected as a councillor and subsequently privileged to be appointed to Seanad Éireann, I have and will continue to raise the matter of the N71. It is one of my clear political priorities.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for staying with us. For more than 40 years, the people of west Cork have listened to politicians talk about upgrading the N71, but very little has changed in those 40 years. The N71 remains a national route in name only. In reality, it is a narrow, twisting and crumbling stretch of road that has seen little investment since the 1970s. Those of us who drive on it daily know its dangers all too well, including blind bends, no safe passing lanes and surfaces that would shame any other national route in the country. It is impacting our towns and villages. Innishannon, Bandon, Clonakilty and Bantry are all choked with congestion, which has an immense toll on daily life. This is not just about a matter of convenience; it is a matter of safety, fairness and regional equality.”
“It is important that the Minister with responsibility for disability would come to the Chamber as soon as possible to discuss respite.”
“They are busy businesses. I have seen the books of many of these businesses. They are struggling with costs and the increased cost of doing business. This is a measure that will ensure stability and sustainability in the years ahead. I call on many of the Opposition parties to look back at what was said in recent months, prior to the formation of the Government, and what their position was on the issue. I know full well the promises made by the Social Democrats, especially in west Cork, in the programme for Government and the calls that were made. Members should look back at what was said. Like all Members, disability is an area I am very passionate about. We have a respite crisis in this country. I am delighted to welcome the additional €600 million put into the disability budget.”
“I want to speak briefly on two aspects of the budget. As a newbie Senator, this is the first opportunity I have had to witness and see how the budgetary process works. As a member of a party that is in government, I also had an opportunity to see how the issues we raised formed part of the budgetary process. Regarding the 9% VAT rate, I put on record the appreciation of the many businesses in west Cork that sought a reduction in VAT and contacted me in recent days. I thank them for their work in campaigning for it. I also want to call out the hypocrisy I see from some Opposition parties that are now opposing this, rejecting it and not supporting the 9% VAT rate that has been introduced. As has rightly been said, these businesses in our communities are not just coffee shops and restaurants; they are the hubs of our communities.”
“At times there is a divide between the rural and the urban in terms of the blame attached to the agricultural community. We need to rule that out, speak against it and explain where our food comes from. We must also explain the importance, as has been mentioned, of generational renewal. We need to attract young people to this sector. It is our job, as public representatives, to explain the facts and why retaining derogation is supporting our farm businesses but is also improving efficiencies. Agriculture is not just another sector for west Cork, it is part of our identity, our future, and our community. Retaining the nitrates derogation is essential if we are to keep family farms viable, protect jobs and sustain the rural way of life that makes this part of Ireland so unique.”
“I hope she visits west Cork to see the operation of the farms there. Retaining the derogation is not about ignoring the environment; it is about working with it. Farmers here are already investing in low-emission slurry spreading, better soil management and protecting watercourses. With continued support, innovation and partnership, we can ensure that west Cork remains both a world-class food producer and a region of natural beauty. A point that is not often made in the debate on derogation is that derogation farmers are actually improving their environment. Through the methods, practices and policies they are implementing, they are improving the environment in terms of reducing emissions and improving water quality. That point needs to be made. We, as public representatives, have a job to do in this regard.”
“Without it, many family farms would be forced to cut stock numbers drastically. This would threaten farm viability and jobs in local co-ops, transport and agri-services, and weaken the very backbone of the rural economy. Losing it would not just hurt farmers; it would ripple out to every shop, school and community hall in west Cork. I thank the Minister for visiting west Cork, particularly Timoleague, in recent months. I take this opportunity to note the presence of Councillor John Michael Foley in the Chamber. The Government sees the importance of derogation and is listening. It is important that we retain our derogation, but it will not be easy. Europe must listen. As has been mentioned, our grass-based system is unique. I am delighted to hear that the Commissioner has been invited to visit Ireland.”
“As has been stated, this debate is not just about the negatives, although there are challenges facing the industry, including rising input costs, market uncertainty and an increasing number of environmental obligations. West Cork is home to some of the best grassland in Europe. This has enabled family farms, particularly does specialising in dairying and livestock, to thrive. However, that productivity depends on a balance between producing food sustainably while protecting our water, soil and biodiversity. As has been mentioned by a number of my colleagues, including Senator Margaret Murphy O'Mahony, derogation is really important to Cork. Permission from Europe for it to continue is vital. Derogation is important because it allows farmers, operating under strict environmental controls, to make the best use of our grass-based system.”
“I welcome the Minister of State. I broadly welcome the cross-party support for the motion. The essence of it is to highlight the positive impact that agriculture has within our communities but also the issues the sector is facing. Agriculture is the lifeblood of many rural communities across the country, including those in west Cork. It is not only the foundation of our local economy; it is also the thread that holds our culture, environment and way of life together. For generations, farming has provided livelihoods, supported local businesses, sustained schools and kept our villages vibrant. Without a strong agriculture sector, the very fabric of rural life begins to fray.”
“This reform ensures that after a lifetime of work, people can retire with dignity and security. Auto-enrolment is not just a policy; it is fairness in action and I am happy to support its introduction.”
“A workforce that feels secure about its future is a more motivated and productive workforce. By sharing responsibility across employees, employers and the State, this scheme is carefully balanced. Employers are not being asked to carry the burden alone. Instead, they are playing a vital role in a partnership that benefits society as a whole. This is why, despite understandable initial reservations, this is a reform that the business community can stand behind. It is about building a stronger, fairer Ireland where both workers and businesses thrive. The new My Future Fund acknowledges that both employers and the State must play a role in retirement security. It is a progressive and modern reform that puts the employee first and brings much-needed clarity to the retirement process.”