Pádraig Rice
Cork South-Central · Social Democrats · Ireland
“There is no clinical reason this should not be extended to oral contraceptives. Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals. They should be allowed to operate at the top of their licence. They are available in every community and are very accessible.”
“I welcome the Bill. We spend a lot of time inside these Houses talking about other parts of reproductive healthcare and not enough about contraception, so it is really welcome that we are having a focus and discussion on it and are moving forward with changes.”
“The oral contraceptive pill has been around for well over half a century and is one of the safest and most well-studied medicines available. In 2019, the World Health Organization publicly stated that oral contraception should be available without needing prescription.”
“I move amendment No. 8: In page 5, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “Report on prescription-free oral contraceptives 4. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on a proposal to allow registered pharmacists to dispense prescription-free oral contracepti…”
“We are talking about the prescription of oral contraceptives as called for by the World Health Organization, as set out by the Irish Pharmacy Union and as endorsed by the previous health committee. We are looking for a report on that with the detail of the various elements, if more detail is required.”
“It is important that we allow pharmacists to operate at the top of their licence and give them as much power as possible, and alleviate pressures on GPs. As I said, this is recommended by the World Health Organization and endorsed by the previous health committee and the IPU. That is the background to this amendment.”
The complete record
Every one of 664 lines we hold for Pádraig Rice, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 14.
“The recent addition of these charging ports and removable pods was done purely as a pre-emptive measure to exploit a loophole. We must close that loophole in this Bill. Nobody is reusing these products; they are being treated as disposable. Even if somebody tried to buy a refill pod for them, it probably is not possible. I have not seen refill pods on sale alongside these vapes in any store. The charging port and removable pod are little more than props designed to circumvent the forthcoming ban. This needs to be addressed on Committee Stage. The other issue of concern is the language used in the Bill's definition of single-use vapes.”
“Aside from the obvious health implications, there are also environmental impacts from single-use vapes. Looking around any city, town or village, one will see vape packaging and stickers all around. Many vape users are not disposing of their devices properly. The only effective way to address this is to ban disposable vapes. While I fully support the Bill's principles, I have concerns about the adequacy of its provisions. The vape manufacturers seem already to be ahead of the legislation. In most shops right now, if I were to ask for a Lost Mary disposable vape, I would be handed one that has a charging port and a removable pre-filled pod, as in the picture I have in my hand. This model is sold as a disposable vape and generally costs no more than €10. Even if it could be reused, there is little incentive to do so.”
“Not long ago, one of those retailers - perhaps the leading one - was offering its customers €20 in phone credit for making submissions to the Government's consultation on vaping. It is really concerning that a company with vested interests would do that. I fully accept that vapes have a place in the market as a smoking cessation tool. I support Deputy Sherlock's call that more be done in terms of provision of vaping cessation programmes. The move towards stricter regulation of the vaping market is not about penalising those who use vaping to stop smoking. It is about ensuring a whole new generation of people do not become addicted to nicotine. We simply can no longer bury our heads in the sand. A balance must be struck. A total of 31 million vapes were sold in Ireland last year. That should be setting off alarm bells.”
“According to the Irish Heart Foundation, reports show that the vape market in China is now overseen by that state's national tobacco corporation and the state's tobacco monopoly administration. It does not stop at vapes, however. The tobacco industry is also behind the emerging market for nicotine pouches, which are being cynically marketed at young people. Last August, the Irish Cancer Society highlighted that big tobacco was now front and centre at a string of festivals and concerts in Ireland heavily promoting its nicotine products and pouches. The main brands, Velo and Nordic Spirit, are owned by British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International, respectively. I am alarmed by the level of lobbying that has been going on, particularly by some of the vape retailers.”
“Looking at her own legislative output this year, however, she should reflect on her own productivity, particularly when it comes to legislation. We are waiting too long for these Bills to come through, particularly the other Bill approved 15 months ago, on which we are still waiting. We must also not lose sight of the fact that a considerable share of the vape market in Ireland and internationally is controlled by the tobacco industry. It recognised the trends and adapted quickly, recruiting a new generation of addicted customers to feed its profits. The companies behind Marlboro and P.J. Carroll both have vape lines, while Elf Bar and Lost Mary, the disposable vape brands that have captured the Irish market, are manufactured by ambiguous companies in China.”
“Unlike the Bill before us, my understanding is that that second Bill will need to go through an EU notification process under the technical standards directive, further delaying that implementation. However, if it can be done more quickly, as Deputy Ward has suggested, by amending this Bill on Committee Stage, we will absolutely support that. This needs to happen and the delay has been far too long. These reforms need to happen together. It is a mistake to wait and delay because the crucial issue is how they are targeting young people with the flavours, colours and marketing. The Minister is very concerned about productivity in the health services and she constantly refers at the health committee to productivity across the health service.”
“They were really concerning reports from the HSE about the impact on young people and also the views of young people themselves in my city of Cork about how they want this regulated. A ban on single-use vapes is long overdue. Why the delay on the Bill on packaging, advertising and flavours as well? That is a crucial part of it. We know this is how they are marketing and how they are targeting these young people. Young people are saying they want action here. It has now been 15 months since the previous Minister for Health secured Government approval for that Bill. Since the current Minister for Health took office, it has been listed as a legislative priority but there is still now sign of it. Fifteen months on, it is still listed. We are still waiting. How much more time does the Minister need to get this done?”
“One of the focuses was on vaping. They gave us results of a study of 700 young people from Cork city who had completed the study by the Cork children and young people's services committee on vaping. One in four of those young people in Cork said the biggest challenge facing young people was vaping. One in three said the worst thing about Cork was vaping - maybe a sign of how great Cork is - while one in ten would ban or reduce the availability vapes around Cork city. Therefore, even young people want action and want these vapes banned and restricted. The HSE briefing was also really alarming in terms of the effects around how addictive vapes are. They showed an increased risk of asthma, an increased risk of depression, risks around oral health, lower sperm count, headaches and dizziness.”
“While a European school survey project for 15- and 16-year-olds in Ireland found that 32% had tried vapes, 16% were current users and 7% reported daily use. The most common age at which people started using a vape was 14. These figures, while shocking, should not come as a surprise. Successive Ministers have allowed vaping rates to surge with their indecision. In failing to act decisively, the crisis has been allowed to escalate. It is not like vaping companies have been subtle about their tactics. They have continually blatantly advertised their products towards children. Flavours like cotton candy, cherry cola and bubblegum are readily available in every corner shop. They are displayed like pick-and-mix rather than highly addictive products. Recently, I was at a good briefing organised by HSE south west for Oireachtas Members.”
“Adult vape use in Europe was found to be 4.6%, more than double the global average. Most alarmingly, the WHO found that Ireland has an adult vaping rate of 11.2%, putting us fourth highest out of 85 countries. In response, the WHO general secretary said: ... the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco control policies. Among children and young people, vaping rates are even higher. The 2024 Healthy Ireland survey found that 17% of 15- to 24-year-olds reported using vapes either daily or occasionally. This compared with just 11% two years previously, in 2022.”
“The Social Democrats welcome this long-overdue legislation to ban single-use vapes. However, I do have some outstanding concerns about the Government's plans. The first relates to the Minister's piecemeal approach to regulating vapes. We are still waiting for legislation on packaging, advertising, flavours and other products such as nicotine pouches. Second, I have real concerns about the strength of the legislation. From my reading of the Bill, it may be outdated before it even gets onto the Statute Book. In October, the WHO published a report on global tobacco-use trends. Since 2000, the WHO found that the number of people using tobacco has dropped by 120 million, which is a 27% drop. However, vapes were found to be fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction, particularly in Europe.”
“Will the Taoiseach support the committee's call or will he let these workers face a financial cliff edge on New Year's Eve, with huge consequences for them and their families, including the possibility of losing their homes? They need an intervention today and they need it from the Taoiseach to extend this scheme to give them financial certainty while this issue is resolved once and for all.”
“The special leave with pay scheme for healthcare workers with long Covid is going to end in two weeks' time unless the Taoiseach intervenes. This scheme is in place for a small group of healthcare workers - the majority being women - many of whom got badly infected while at work at the height of the Covid pandemic, when the rest of us were at home and long before PPE and vaccines. These workers got very sick with long Covid as a result and many are physically unable to return to work. Today, the health committee I chaired agreed to write to the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to ask her to extend the scheme for six months to allow the Department of Social Protection to introduce an occupational injury scheme, as other EU countries have done.”
“It flies in the face of stated Government policy on ageing and delivering an age-friendly health and social care system. A constituent of mine called it a stealth tax and I would agree. We need to change this. The Minister needs to look at it. She particularly needs to look at the narrowing of the category of high-risk drugs because that will have a real impact on people.”
“The risk lies in the overall burden of managing multiple medicines when you have memory difficulties or poor health literacy, when you live a chaotic life or when you lack support. Blood thinners and insulin will no longer be deemed high-risk medications but they are high-risk for some. Why is the Minister shifting this avoidable clinical risk onto those least able to manage it? In her reply, I would really like the Minister to tease through and look at that matter because these changes are also really important and have not been given enough attention. They affect some of the most at-risk groups. It needs to be addressed. The Minister claims the changes to blister pack rules are just a correction but this decision is anything but correct. It is the wrong decision.”
“That is not addressed in the motion and has not been addressed in media reports or in the Minister's statement. According to Deep End Ireland, which represents GPs in disadvantaged communities, there will be a profound and sudden narrowing of the list of medications deemed to be high-risk and, therefore, eligible for reimbursement under phased dispensing. There are very serious changes to the rules around phased dispensing as well and these need to be considered, looked at and changed. For patients who are homeless or whose living conditions are unstable, the risk of having all of their tablets dispensed at once is not confined to the pharmacology of the particular drug.”
“Something that has not come up enough in this debate, in the media or in the Minister's contribution is the changes to phased dispensing and the impact that will have for some of the most vulnerable parts of our community. Deputy Sherlock made reference to that. The Minister has repeatedly cited the distinction between phased dispensing and monitored dosing systems, both of which were previously reimbursed under the phased dispensing arrangement. Strictly speaking, phased dispensing was introduced for patients to whom it would be unsafe to give their medication for the month on one single occasion. The rules around this are changing too but we have heard very little about it. Those changes will disproportionately impact deprived communities.”
“The Minister of State with responsibility for older people said that "It sets out a clear and ambitious mission for Ireland to become a country where the entire health system is designed and delivered through an age-friendly lens that enhances the lives and well-being of all older adults." That is crucial. We need an age-friendly approach and that is why we need to get this right and fix the mess that has been created. The report hinges on what it calls the four Ms. One of those Ms stands for medication. According to the framework, an age-friendly health system should "prescribe medication thoughtfully and safely". Surely, blister packs are part of that. It is crucially important that we maintain people's independence and keep them at home for as long as possible. That is really important.”
“It gives them certainty, confidence and reassurance in taking their medication. It is a service they would like provided free of charge. It is something the State can support them with. That is the outcome we need to reach in the time ahead. At the core of this is the use of blister packs, a dosage monitoring system that helps patients manage medication safely and retain their independence, which is particularly important given our ageing population. Two weeks ago today, the Department of Health and the HSE published Delivering an Age-Friendly Health System, a blueprint intended to transform healthcare for older people.”
“The Minister pointed out that she was going to do an analysis, that there would be a probing process and that she wanted greater transparency but why now? Why was this not done during the negotiation phase? Why was all of this not teased out in advance? Why did it take public pressure and motions before the Dáil for her to put a pause on this and take these steps? Like other Deputies, I raised concerns about changes in the agreement when we spoke about it back in October. I highlighted concerns around changes in respect of phased dispensing but nothing was done. It was not until there was increased public pressure that it was suddenly decided that things would change. The Minister has a huge mess on her hands. People want clarity. People have said time and again that this is a service they really need and rely on.”
“I have listened carefully to the debate, the Minister's contribution, the other Deputies and my constituents and my conclusion is that this is a mess. The Minister said that there are people who are confused and frightened. That is certainly true. People have been in touch with my office and with those of other Deputies and they are genuinely concerned about this. People are struggling with bills and with the cost of living and they are really worried they are going to have to pay huge costs out of pocket. Whether it is €15 or €50, people are genuinely worried. These are people who are older, people with disabilities and people on social welfare. They will say that, while the Government cannot control all prices, it can control this price and can make this service free of charge.”
“They are getting sicker and, ultimately, dying sooner because they are not getting access to health services. This Government and this State are failing too many people. It needs to change.”
“Huge sums of public money are being spent. While greater controls have been put in place until insourcing is phased out in June 2026, little is being done to address the dependency on outsourcing. This is something that needs to be addressed. The reliance comes at a major cost that is not just financial. It is hollowing out public capacity and creating a perverse incentive for staff to move from the public to private sector. It is a vicious cycle. I would like to hear about the Sláintecare commitment around the legislation and what the Government's current position is on that, and what else will be done to reduce waiting lists. Too many people in our State are waiting far too long to get access to core health services they desperately need. People are waiting in pain and anguish.”
“On NTPF accountability, while the NTPF is required to appear before the public accounts committee, as specified under legislation, and potentially other committees, such as the health committee, there is undoubtedly an arm's-length level of accountability, which needs to be rectified. Instead of being a response of last resort, the NTPF has regrettably become an integrated part of the State's healthcare landscape. The health service has become increasingly reliant on the NTPF, which has a €230 million budget this year compared with €55 million in 2018. We have seen this balloon and balloon, with massive expenditure. A HSE examination over a 27-month period revealed the scale of the HSE's dependency on insourcing and outsourcing. A total of €830 million was spent on outsourcing and around €100 million was spent on insourcing.”
“In September, figures I compiled showed there are over 300,000 people on some of our primary and community health and social care waiting lists. Over 240 have been waiting for more than three months, while more than 100,000 people have been waiting for over a year. An extraordinary number of people are waiting an extraordinary length of time to get access to health services in this State. Quite shockingly, 42,000 children were found to be waiting for more than a year across eight core primary care services, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. A massive number of children are waiting far too long to get access to these core primary care services.”
“Sláintecare is clear on the requirement for maximum wait-time guarantees and the need to ensure that people responsible for holding those guarantees are held to account. This is why we need legislation like this. Currently, the NTPF publishes monthly acute hospital waiting lists and some diagnostic waiting lists. However, those for other areas, such as primary care, are not routinely published. Instead, these must be sought via parliamentary questions, as they are not routinely compiled. This makes it very difficult to get a true picture of the total number of people on health and social care waiting lists in the State and, most importantly, to provide a true picture of the wait times across services. Waiting times in primary and community care are the hidden crisis in our health services.”
“In February, the Minister published the waiting list action plan for 2025 with the aim that 50% of patients would wait less than the Sláintecare target of ten weeks for their first outpatient appointment and 12 weeks for their day appointment by the end of 2025. In October, which is the last published month, outpatient appointments were 69.4% over the target, while active inpatient and day cases were 62% over the target. Time and again, we are missing those targets and people are waiting far too long to get access to the health services. Supply-side interventions are needed for investment in primary and community care so that our hospitals are not the default but supply-side policies alone will not address the waiting list problems.”
“The main provisions about putting waiting list targets on a statutory footing, publishing all waiting lists across the health service and making the NTPF more accountable to the Dáil are things all parties here should accept and progress. Sláintecare set out the core wait times of ten weeks for outpatients and 12 weeks for inpatient day cases. These wait times were to be underpinned by legislation and implemented on a phased basis by 2023, but that did not happen. Is the Government now opposed to the idea of legislating for wait times because that is what I heard from the Minister of State's speech? Is he now against that and going against the recommendation from Sláintecare? If so, I would like him to tell us more about that.”
“People outside the Houses, including the citizens watching this debate, do not have trust in our democratic system and process because we have a system that is two-faced in many regards. On the one hand, the Taoiseach says he is very open to accepting amendments, listening to the Opposition and engaging. On the other hand, the Government just dismisses proposals and suggestions out of hand. I ask the Government and the Department of Health, which has not accepted a single amendment to any legislation in a year, to think again about the strategy and approach, to engage meaningfully with the constructive proposals put before them and to stop dismissing things out of hand because it is bad for our democracy, our Republic and our governance and we can do better. I welcome the Bill.”
“At the same time, Ministers and the Taoiseach in particular, especially at Leaders' Questions, come in and say the Opposition has no ideas, solutions or proposals. When serious proposals are put forward, they are just dismissed out of hand and given no serious consideration. It is deeply frustrating. We saw it yesterday when my party put forward a Bill on animal welfare. It was similar with our votes at 16 Bill and our Bill in the Seanad on domestic violence. Time and time again, there is a timed amendment, our legislation is dismissed and we are told we have no ideas. When a very well-constructed and serious Bill like the one put forward by Deputy Cullinane is put forward, again it is opposed. I am only here a year and I find it deeply frustrating. I am sure others who are here longer find it even worse.”
“I also welcome the Bill and commend Deputies Cullinane and Mark Ward and Sinn Féin on bringing it forward. I have to say that it is disappointing that the Government is once again opposing a Bill from the Opposition. This morning, I attended the working group of committee Chairs with the Taoiseach, who spoke very openly about how he is open to taking amendments from the Opposition, listening to different groups and engaging with people in a productive way to have a productive Parliament. I was surprised because it is not my experience. I have been here a year and not a single amendment put forward from the Opposition benches has been accepted by the Minister for Health - not one. Not a single Bill we have put forward has been accepted in a year.”
“The current lack of regulation has created a system in which dog rescues simply cannot keep up with the pace at which dog breeders are breeding. Nor can they cope with ever-increasing surrender requests or dog abandonment rates. Right now in my city, the Cork Dog Action Welfare group has more than 100 dogs in foster homes and shelters. On the website of the Cork Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals today, one of the first dogs listed for adoption is Ila, who the CSPCA describes as having started life on a puppy farm but is now free from that fate. I commend those organisations and the volunteers who do fantastic work. I urge Members across the House to support this Bill. They should remember the dogs we have talked about today and put better regulations in place for them.”
“We cannot let dogs throughout the country suffer because successive governments have failed to prioritise animal welfare. I strongly believe that improving animal welfare should have cross-party support in the House. Dog breeding in this country has been likened to the fast fashion market, with any breed of puppy readily available at the click of a button. Sadly, too many people remain unaware of the ethical concerns associated with this. Our poorly regulated framework has created a multimillion euro industry and resulted in Ireland becoming a huge exporter of puppies to more tightly regulated countries. It has also allowed incredibly harmful practices of surgical artificial insemination to remain legal.”
“One Member from each of those two parties showed up. It was not a comprehensive debate and there was not meaningful engagement with the Government. That is disappointing. These are important issues. We should be progressing this legislation, taking it to Committee Stage, going through the detail and passing it. The response from the Government is disappointing. I thank my colleague Deputy Whitmore for bringing forward the legislation and putting forward these proposals and ideas. I also thank Dog Law Ireland which worked with her on the Bill. In essence, the Bill would regulate breeding practices and outlaw harmful procedures that cause unnecessary suffering to dogs. At the moment, there are no protections for dogs in breeding establishments.”
“As a new TD, I find it deeply frustrating that Government Ministers say to us constantly that the Social Democrats have no solutions, policies or ideas and then, when we come to the Dáil with solutions, policies and ideas, they are dismissed and rejected. In his opening speech the Minister of State asked us to accept his bona fides about the 12-month delay. I would accept that if this did not happen every single time we put forward legislation. It happened the last time with our Bill to reduce the voting age to sixteen and it happened to our Bill in the Seanad. Time and again, the Government kicks the can down the road and dismisses our ideas. The Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, said we had a comprehensive debate. It is remarkable how few Members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael were here to discuss the Bill.”
“Is it that migrant lives are so worthless that they should not be saved from drowning? Is it that if one does not stand back and watch them die, one will end up with 20 years in prison? Is the Tánaiste concerned about this case? Has he raised his concerns with the Greek Government? What support is the Irish Government providing to Seán?”
“The trial of Kerry man Seán Binder begins today in Greece. As perverse as it sounds, Seán is going on trial for saving people's lives. In 2017, while volunteering with a search and rescue organisation in Greece, Seán saw rubber boats in distress off the coast of Lesbos. Instead of watching people drown, he and other volunteers rushed into the water to help. Thanks to their swift and courageous actions, lives were saved. Instead of receiving a bravery award from the Greek Government, Seán ended up in jail. Serious charges, including people smuggling and membership of a criminal organisation, have been pending since then. This trial is a travesty of justice. Amnesty has said that it is not just Seán who is on trial; humanity and solidarity are in the dock with him. If Seán is convicted, what kind of message will that send?”
“In 2013, TENI found that access to trans healthcare results in lower rates of self-harm, suicidality, depression and anxiety. It found that 78% of trans people considered suicide but after they accessed trans healthcare, it dropped to 4%. We will, therefore, save lives by doing this. This is why it is crucially important and those people who come in here to attack this for political gain are going to cost lives and they need to know that. This is crucially important. We absolutely need to get this right. Beyond that, I support the calls on conversion practice and intersex rights. We need to set the goal of this to be the best place in Ireland to be LGTBQI+.”
“As I said at the start, the Minister needs time to get this right but that time cannot run on and on. We need action in the next year or so and we will continue to apply pressure to see that delivered. It is concerning that there was a commitment in the 2020 programme for Government that was not delivered on. I know there is another commitment in this programme for Government. We cannot have another commitment again in the next one going undelivered. We have to get this right. It has to be done in the lifetime of this Oireachtas. The Minister will have our full support in getting there and I know she will have it from colleagues as well. It is important we progress that. Crucially, as to why we want to do this, we know that trans healthcare services are lifesaving.”
“WHO stated: "This reflects current knowledge that trans-related and gender diverse identities are not conditions of mental ill-health, and that classifying them as such [causes] enormous stigma." Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Malta, Canada and parts of the US have implemented this change but Ireland has not. The new sexual health strategy published in June is almost silent on trans healthcare. At best, there are only passing references to trans people. We should integrate trans healthcare into our sexual health services. They exist across the country and they are trusted by the community. People access these services already. These services need investment and support and, as we build a model of care, delivering it alongside sexual health services is the way to go. With regard to timelines, we need action as soon as possible.”
“We need regional clinics where people can be given individualised care plans and then discharged back to the primary care services. We also need a national clinical programme for trans healthcare in partnership with the trans community. This would be a body responsible for governance, training, professional development of practitioners, policy and procedures. We need to look at international best practice and what international guidelines are saying. We know what the World Health Organization has said in this regard. In 2009, the WHO reclassified trans healthcare as part of central health rather than mental health.”
“It would turn your stomach listening to the way invasive questions were asked and the way in which this person was treated by a clinician in our National Gender Service. It is absolutely outrageous and it should be setting off alarm bells. This is why we need to see urgent reform. It is why I fully support a new model of care based on informed consent and international best practice. We need a regionalised service across the country in each of the health regions. We need it delivered in primary care and have GPs involved. GPs currently prescribe hormones to a lot of people, including older people, people with menopause symptoms and older men, who are prescribed hormone testosterone. GPs do this and they could do this for trans people as well.”
“A study by Belong To, Being LGBTQ+ in Ireland 2024, found that one in three people waits at least three years for their first appointment. If we had any other service across the country where people had to wait three years to get their first appointment, there would be utter outrage in this Chamber. People are waiting years upon years, sitting delayed. Some people reported waiting up to ten or 13 years. The system is absolutely broken and needs to be fixed. This morning, before I came in here, I was on Instagram and I came across released audio of someone’s clinical experience. I ask the Minister to listen to that audio because the kinds of questions that this individual was asked by a clinician are absolutely shocking.”
“They are also using the same play book from the 1980s. They are now saying the same things they said about gay and lesbian people in the 1980s about trans people. They will not get away with it. We will stand up against it because it is utterly outrageous. With regard to the substance of what we are talking about, we are talking about people getting access to: gender-affirming care to alleviate gender dysphoria and improve their lives, hormones, surgery and mental health supports, where they need it in a timely and, as I said, lifesaving way. At the moment, we have one clinic in the National Gender Service in Loughlinstown. It is fair to say the system is broken, not working and failing people every single day in this country. As mentioned, there are 2,000 people on the waiting list.”
“It has existed in Irish society going back through history, as is being uncovered now through trans history projects. It is also a group that has been consistently demonised and attacked in the most outrageous way. We must call out people who come into parliaments like this and demonise and attack a small minority group. It is outrageous and is a terrible place to be attacking a weak and vulnerable minority to try to look strong but actually it is just very weak. In many ways, many of the attacks are very predictable. If we look across Europe, we see what is being said in other countries and the kinds of attacks we see on the LGBT community more broadly happened in other countries first. It is a far-right movement. The same attacks and lines are rehashed here in press releases, using the same language, words and playbook.”
“I think the interim measures that have been introduced are welcome but we need to see more work. In the minutes afforded to me, I want to talk about who we are talking about, what we are talking about, where we are talking about it, when and why. When we talk about trans people, we are talking about our friends, family and colleagues. We are talking about people who work here in Leinster House. We are talking about the postman, the nurse, the teacher, the doctor. We are talking about everyday regular Irish citizens who are looking for recognition, for rights, for equality and just to be able to live their lives in an ordinary way like anybody else. We are also talking about a very small minority - about 1% of population, if not less. This is a group that has existed in every society across time.”
“I thank the Labour Party for tabling the motion today and for giving us the time to debate this really important issue. I stand here today in defence of trans rights, trans equality and ultimately trans liberation. This is a crucial issue and one that we need to dedicate time and effort to during this Oireachtas term. As the Minister will know, this was one of the first issues I raised with her during my priority questions because for me this is a crucial issue and one that we need to work together on to deliver for trans, non-binary and intersex people in Ireland. The Minister needs some time and support to develop a model of care and to get this right. It is really welcome that there has been good engagement so far with clinicians, with stakeholders and with the community.”
“I want to raise with the Taoiseach the issue of Cork city library. In his last speech in the Dáil, the former Minister, Paschal Donohoe, asked the Government to keep in mind one public service, that is, libraries. I echo and support that call. In Cork, we have fantastic services and staff but we both know the building is not fit for purpose. Four years ago, the Taoiseach announced that €50 million would be spent transforming Grand Parade with a new public library, central plaza and boardwalk. Four years on, our promised new library is nowhere to be seen. There has been no public consultation and there is a real lack of transparency now around that project. Cork was promised a new-build public library on Grand Parade and I want to know whether it will be delivered. Will a new library be built and delivered in our city for the people?”
“Otherwise, people will continue to feel obliged to fork out almost €2,000 a year for private health insurance and that is not acceptable.”
“In recent years, there have been some belated but encouraging signs of progress, such as the take-up of the consultant contact, the reduction in some out-of-pocket expenses and better access to community diagnostics, to name a few. However, since this new Government entered office, Sláintecare has been sidelined. I accept that a new action plan was published last May but that was two years overdue, and in those two years, the Department was unable to even come up with costings or provide a figure of implementation. The new plan lacks any substance. It is little more than a box-ticking exercise. Ultimately, the Social Democrats will always support genuine efforts to implement Sláintecare but I am afraid that those instances have been few and far between. That needs to change.”