Pat Buckley
Cork East · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“This Sinn Féin motion is to recognise that art is the product of the labour of artists informed by their unique human experience, creativity and skill. The Script's Danny O'Donoghue on "Morning Ireland" said: ... no public funding goes towards AI-generated content, humans only.”
“I thank Deputy Ó Snodaigh for tabling this motion. It is not just ordinary workers who are being made to fear for their futures as artificial intelligence continues to develop and expand. Musical artists, writers and filmmakers are also being badly hit by this AI revolution.”
“I thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion here today. I sat here last night and have sat here again this morning, listening to the debates. The first thing I have noticed is there is absolutely zero from the Government bench. It is absolutely shameful. It is crocodile tears we see in here.”
“We have heard many lines here before about how we do not want to be on the wrong side of history. I urge the Government to withdraw its countermotion. It is utterly shameful. The Irish people are very angry and very hurt. What if the Government had to walk in the shoes of any Palestinian. I have spoken to many of them.”
“To think of an Israeli team with an Israeli flag on Irish soil with the national anthem and the Israeli national anthem being sung and it being acknowledged as normal is absolutely unbelievable and unimaginable. Yesterday, I listened to a debate in the audiovisual room from the Stop the Game campaign.”
“I do not even think UEFA has the balls to take us on because it will set a precedent. If we do the right thing now, we can stand up here in a year's time or ten years' time and say we are proud we did the right thing and we stood up for the people who needed us.”
The complete record
Every one of 195 lines we hold for Pat Buckley, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 4.
“I thank Deputy Clarke for tabling this motion and all the speakers, including the Government speakers, who contributed to the debate on this very sensitive subject. I thank the Mental Health Commission for its work. I welcome the opportunity to again address the House on the topic of mental health services, having first done so back in 2016. I am sad that there has been very little change in the ten years since. We tell those suffering with their mental health to seek help but that help is not always there. I know this myself. Colleagues may know that I lost two brothers to suicide. It has been a while and I still do not know how my mam, brothers and sisters deal with it. That pain is always there but nobody talks about it. Many emergency departments do not currently have suicide crisis assessment nurses, as several speakers have noted.”
“Within ten days, after nearly ten years of conflict, that gentleman's water solutions were sorted. It is the only way to bring these matters to justice. Uisce Éireann is a money pit, is not fit for purpose and gives us no accountability, even in communications. It definitely needs to be pulled in and rigorously investigated. We need accountability on this.”
“The Acting Chairman, Deputy Aindrias Moynihan, was a county councillor at the time of one of the county development plans. Uisce Éireann, then Irish Water, told Cork County Council it would not develop Monard in Cork because it refused to put in water and sewage. That is going back a long time. It is a dictatorship. The company has rules of its own. Terence Coskeran was a gentleman in Tipperary who came to the petitions committee in the last term after dealing for ten years with Uisce Éireann, which would not take over his estate of six houses. Tipperary County Council was absolutely amazing. The memorandum of understanding was signed but then Uisce Éireann came along and would not recognise it. It was the first time we had the power to call Uisce Éireann into the petitions committee.”
“I will stick to two areas, namely, accountability and communication. On a rating from one to ten, both of them are one. There have been ten years of a boil water notice in Whitegate, east Cork, with diabolical communications, even with me as a public representative. Some other speakers have mentioned that already. There is zero accountability and no information any time you can actually get an email to Uisce Éireann, even one offering suggestions. Imagine people being on a boil water notice for ten years, including people with medical conditions and complex needs, without an ounce of compensation. We tried to sue the company. I wrote to every constituent to say they could claim €30. We got zero accountability. Ten days would be the average waiting time for someone who reports a leak. That is if they can get through to Uisce Éireann.”
“We are banning carcinogens in vaping as we debated today but yet we will bring thousands and thousands of tonnes of muck - that is all I can call it - into this country and we are being told it will be fine because we will get better deals for something else.”
“We dipped our fingers in the water and we got burnt. That was in regard to the fishing industry. Now you are telling us the water is not as hot any more, it is probably lukewarm, we will get away with it and everything will be grand. I know the Minister of State mentioned trade. There is no guarantee with that. What have we got in trade when it comes to our fishing industry? We have foreign vehicles and foreign trawlers coming in wiping the country out and we have the best fish in the world. We saw the other day that crabs came off a truck that were being exported to Portugal. I always say that when you go on holidays, it is the best of Irish fish you are eating. I am very worried about this deal.”
“The Government will drive young farmers into extinction because if this goes through they will have nothing. The EU fines farmers for environmental breaches and all of that yet it will be grand to go over to Brazil and other countries where there is massive deforestation. We are talking about an environmental impact and the carbon footprint to import this stuff. The EU does not care about it. It is all about getting the best deal for Ursula and her buddies because they paid off another country during the week with millions and millions of euro. This is how the game works. It is absolutely farcical that we are here and we have been waiting so long for this. I have listened to other speakers state that all our MEPs have a duty there. If the deal is not good enough for Ireland let us be honest with Europe and say no, we got stung once.”
“I listened to the debate in my office today. The industry will be decimated, full stop. We have seen it with the fishing industry. We cannot say we went out and bargained for this, that and the other. The fishing industry was sold out. We should have a fishing industry worth billions of euro worth here. The Minister mentioned in his speech about quality of life. How can a person have a better quality of life if he or she is eating muck? It is muck. We debated a Bill on vaping about two hours ago and the carcinogens in it and we are banning it straight away. We will, however, bring in 90,000 tonnes of beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry but it is okay to eat that because we will have a better quality of life. It is absolutely bonkers.”
“Last year, surveys on smoking - I think there were two of them - asked all the hard questions, such as how we think we will stop smoking with bans or closing smoking areas. I never saw a questionnaire that set out where there to find an addiction helpline or an accessory to try to get people off what is an addictive substance. I worry about that. While I support the Bill, it needs to be made strong and robust on Committee Stage. We need to make sure vaping does not move into the black market because as bad and all as things are now, if vaping moves under the counter or into the black market, people will not know what they will be vaping.”
“I noticed before the recess, when the Government introduced an additional tax on vaping liquids, that we are taxing addiction again instead of being proactive and taking a health initiative. It seems to be always about revenue. This will drive stuff into the black market. I have seen this and I am well aware it occurs in other countries. We know vapes were banned in Australia. I have spoken to people who live in Australia. People with an Irish accent who ask for these vapes in a shop will be given them from under the counter. We have to learn from the mistakes other countries have made. I am worried about having a knee-jerk reaction and banning all of these disposable vapes. What happens next? As other speakers asked, What about those people with addiction issues?”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. This is about being proactive and taking positive health initiatives. As an ex-smoker and a vape user, I know the difference between the two. I am worried about the reactive, as opposed to proactive, stance this Bill takes. While it moves us forward, it still does not do enough. I have read the latest press release from Responsible Vaping Ireland. It states that similar legislation was passed in England last year and the manufacturers have already started to modify these vapes to make them look like they are reusable by putting in fake charging points to get around that issue. It is just a worry. I understand where we are coming from and the need to keep vapes away from young people who have never smoked before.”
“There are no words for what the Government is doing to people. It is one of the most dangerous things. I have spoken on the radio about this. People have a system because, as I said at the start, this was brought in as a health and safety issue.”
“On top of that, I can guarantee that the Minister is definitely on the naughty list this year anyway when it comes to them.”
“I am lucky enough to be here a long time. I have seen stuff before, but this one can walk under a snake's belly with a bowler hat on. It is so embarrassing what the Government is doing. I had a gentleman on to me last week who is on a waiting list for meals on wheels. The Government is on about a cost-of-living crisis, and it brings in this extortionate disgusting charge on blister packs for people. It was brought in originally in 1996 as a health and safety issue. Now, everything is after getting fixed. I was in Market Green in Midleton last Saturday and Santy was there, believe it or not. Santy pulled me aside and asked me what the bloody hell is happening with the blister packs. This is a fact. We had a good conversation. He told me that he and his wife, Mrs. Claus - they are pushing on now - are disgusted at what is happening.”
“It is not a big secret, but what I am trying to find out is who I can go to in order to make sure that Scouting Ireland lives up to its responsibility and gives these people and others a proper response, and stops stalling and wasting money by using senior counsel and stalling the process in court houses and changing legal counsel to take it on again. It is only costing these people money. I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I will get on to the Minister myself as well. I thank him for his response.”
“I would like to see the written procedures because this individual rang seven years ago and was referred to Tusla, and that is where it stopped. I am concentrating on this one individual because they gave me the most information. Their life has been ruined. The trauma is still ongoing. The person is very happily married and they have children. They are lucky to still be in a good working relationship in life. All this individual and others want are answers to why they were not safeguarded and why they were not facilitated with help once the reporting started and it all went into the public domain. This issue was raised in July 2003, March 2004 and the most recent article was in 2017.”
“I thank the Minister of State. I want to let the Acting Chair know that the perpetrator is now deceased and the name is already in the public domain. I thank the Minister of State for the response from the Minister's office. Every time I come in here, we do not know everything. I see in the response that €251,000 was ring-fenced for safeguarding. I would say Scouting Ireland has spent a lot more than €251,000 on it. The response also states that the organisation adheres to national child protection guidelines and procedures. I am going to look at them and see whether that is the case because a lot of people are coming to me saying that they have been ignored for years. In addition, we are told the organisation's board reviews the child safeguarding policy to ensure it abides by all legal requirements and has written procedures in place.”
“I am speaking from personal experience. I knew this individual. He was a nasty individual. I am not here for kudos for me. What I am trying to get is information on behalf of those who are still alive, and still brave enough to talk up, who are being stone-walled left, right and centre. Scouting Ireland has been deplorable, absolutely diabolical. It has spent more time, energy and money trying to bury this when the person got ten years in jail for it. Scouting Ireland is not doing what it is supposed to do, which is to look after those who were interfered with by this teacher. Where do I go?”
“I did not name anybody. I am well aware of that. I thank the Acting Chair. The case about the schoolteacher is well documented. What I am trying to raise here, as the individual asked me to do, is to find out what recourse this person and others have right now. We have learned nothing from the mother and baby home scandal. What can I tell this individual? Somebody is going to tell me that it is a legal issue. Scouting Ireland is being paid taxpayers' money. For starters, I would like to know how much it has spent defending the indefensible. How much has it paid out in legal costs, again trying to bury what has happened? In 1982 The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" was No. 1. I was not thrown out of the school for standing up, but they said to me that they would much prefer if I did not come back after the Easter holidays.”
“One was "Man repeatedly raped by teacher in classroom as an 11-year-old boy seeks apology over vile attacks". That individual when he was old enough - because, again, he did not get any answers - left the country and tried to make a new life for himself somewhere else. The unfortunate thing is that I know four, possibly five, who left as well over the craic with this, but they left through suicide.”
“However, I met with a survivor very recently and he told me that back as far as 2019 he contacted Scouting Ireland but he has never heard anything from the organisation. At the time he was a minor so Tusla was involved. The individual told me he would have a better chance emptying the Red Sea with a bucket with no ass in it than getting any help from Tusla. He has told me Scouting Ireland has changed its legal team, possibly twice, since 2019 when he brought the abuse to its attention. His legal team, which he has to pay, feel they have been stalled and they cannot get any answers to this. This was reported on a number of times and I will quote one or two of the headlines to give the Minister of State what was in the public domain.”
“I thank the Minister of State for being here. I want to draw to his attention what is not happening within Scouting Ireland. The problem is this is a legacy issue that goes back to the 1980s. I went to one of the same schools as many of these people did. It is about abuse and a specific teacher who got ten years in jail for raping young boys predominantly as a schoolteacher, a scout leader and a scout commissioner for the diocese of Cloyne. He also ran the summer camp in Mount Melleray. Back in 2018 or 2019, Scouting Ireland put out a notice asking that anybody who was affected by this should make contact with it so those people who were directly affected by this individual could engage in a process where they might get some solace.”
“By God, no matter how many times you try to tell the truth in this country, you are going to get battered and punished while the perpetrator skips down the yellow brick road as if nothing happened. Please withdraw the Government amendment, do the right thing, support Independent Ireland and try to move this forward. I can certainly say that we will be back to have another crack at the protected disclosures Bill again.”
“Every single one of the whistleblowers in the last protected disclosure I brought here was paid off by the Government. The family of someone who is now deceased has been purposely split. I have been threatened for telling the truth. Some of the whistleblowers came back to me last Monday and told me they had been blacklisted and could not get a job anywhere. When we are talking about protected disclosures, we must remember each one of these and what happened to them and their families. Please take it seriously and take on board what we say. Deputy Farrell spoke about waiting for the EU. We waited 18 months for the directive to come from the EU so we could table a Bill and do the right thing. Normally when we come into the Chamber, we are trying to serve the people outside of here we are supposed to serve and do the right thing.”
“I will go back to the years 2000 to 2002, when 59 people in east Cork died by suicide, 23 of whom were all around the same age. I know this will upset some people. I know four people above in the graveyard because when people made protected disclosures, they were not acted on. This aggressive man was head of the Diocese of Cloyne scouts as the regional director. He ran the Mount Melleray Scout Centre. The system is rotten and failed I do not know how many people. When we are talking about protected disclosures, we need to take it as seriously as possible. You can hear it in my voice. As Deputy Mairéad Farrell said a moment ago, we introduced an alternative Bill in 2021. It had provisions for mental health and counselling supports for families.”
“I have brought protected disclosures to two Taoisigh and four Ministers over the past three or four years. A man is now deceased because he was killed in Stryker in Carrigtwohill two years ago. The protected disclosure is still ongoing. A good friend of mine came to me last Friday regarding an issue that had been going on for seven years involving Scouting Ireland and the abuse of children by a now deceased schoolteacher and scout leader who I knew myself, Denis O'Shea. The State, and in particular Scouting Ireland, have spent seven years changing their legal teams to stall. When whistleblowers come forward, they are being absolutely battered and punished. Millions of euro in public money is spent making legal teams rich and nobody is getting an answer.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill and I thank Independent Ireland. More importantly, I thank those in the Gallery. They are heroes of the State who get absolutely battered for telling the truth. It is an absolute and utter disgrace. I have a script but I want to speak about the comments of the Minister of State and the Government amendment. The amendment states — whistleblowers have at their disposal effective channels to report breaches of EU rules confidentially, both internally (within an organisation) and externally (to a competent authority); — whistleblowers' reports are properly investigated and acted upon by the organisations and competent authorities; and — whistleblowers are protected from retaliation; This is in the Government amendment and it is absolute verbal diarrhoea.”
“The decade-long crusade has left CJ emotionally and financially spent with petitions to the European Commission and to the Irish Government to see if they could draw down EU funds from the European fisheries fund in compensation, but that is falling on deaf ears. Now dismantled, her fate has resonated deeply in many coastal communities across the country who have been ignored by consecutive Governments. Questions need to be answered by this Government and by the EU as to how this beam trawler was issued with a stamped stability book from a renowned international classification society. This had serious maritime safety implications. The Gaffney family deserve compensation for this ordeal. We need to ensure that no other family will ever face the same injustice.”
“In 2007, CJ purchased a Dutch trawler, the Mary Kate, and subsequently found that it had serious stability issues that made the boat uninsurable. After trying to take legal action in Holland and in Germany, as it was German registered, without success, he took out a loan to cover the considerable cost of fixing that boat. Despite finishing the repairs in 2012 at an eye-watering cost to himself, CJ had been unable to earn a living fishing the boat for so long that he was forced to sell it. A UK buyer was found, but due to the boat's history it could not be registered in the UK as part of the fishing fleet. He had to surrender the boat to the bank in 2012 along with his fishing licence, and was left with debts of over €1 million.”
“As a coastal TD, I have seen at first hand the decline in the fishing industry. The sector has suffered quota cuts, fleet reductions and fuel pressures. The input of cost increases in recent years has left them facing crisis after crisis. This is following decades of neglect, mismanagement and weak negotiations on their behalf by successive Fianna Fáil- and Fine Gael-led Governments. I want to touch on something because people have mentioned quotas and different stocks. I am going to give a real-life story. A gentleman named Mr. CJ Gaffney is the perfect example of the incredible damage that has been done and continues to be done to the Irish fishing industry. It has literally been gutted – pardon the pun.”
“The Government's attitude to families, workers and people with disabilities has been consistently out of touch and has made having a disability and being poor go hand in hand. That says a lot. I wish I had more time to speak on this but I want to mention Fraser syndrome and I ask the Minister of State to check it out. What is being done to people in this country is an absolute disgrace.”
“There are over 24,000 people in my constituency of Cork East that have some form of disability, and the additional expenses they faced have not been recognised by the Government in the recent budget. The average cost of having a disability in Ireland is at least €12,000 a year and if people have severe limitations, they could lose maybe 93% of their disposable income. In rural parts of my constituency, many disabled individuals are forced to pay for taxis to attend hospital appointments. If this was not bad enough, they also have to pay for parking. Last year Cork University Hospital received an income of more than €2.3 million from car parking charges. We have already called for this to be abolished. Affordable and accessible housing in rural areas is extremely limited. The grants are totally inadequate.”
“Every bit of energy goes into making sure my son has what he needs, while also trying to give my daughter the love and attention she deserves. Financially, things are tight. My partner works full-time, but with only one income and the added costs of private therapy sessions, travel to appointments, and specialist items for my son, it's difficult to stay on top of everything. The constant rising of cost of living is crucifying families like ours. I face higher household bills because I'm at home full-time, and any unexpected expense can cause real stress. Going private for an Autism Assessment is out of the question financially. We all know the cost of disability is unseen by the people unless it affects them.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to contribute. I congratulate my Sinn Féin colleagues on tabling the motion. I have watched this debate and I will start with a quote from a family. This puts us in the picture as to the reality of it. She writes: My name is Shauna Dunne and I am the full-time carer for my 2-year-old son Jack, and the mother of a 4 year old girl called Demi. Jack is currently awaiting an autism assessment and attends private therapy sessions... Sometimes people don't understand the reality of being a full-time carer. They might think I'm lazy or choosing not to work, but thats far from the truth. My days and nights are long, demanding, and emotionally draining. There's very little time to rest or think about myself.”
“Never mind the risk of flooding for rural homeowners, who face longer waits for the fire brigade, the ambulance and other vital emergency services and who also face higher premiums in comparison with city dwellers. Meanwhile, the insurance industry has generated huge profits by ripping off struggling families right across the country. Simply put, insurance companies are in the wrong and need to be called out. It is time to end the insurance rip-off and reduce prices for customers. Insurance costs in the country have been too high for far too long. It is time to ensure that all customers are treated fairly.”
“To add insult to injury, approximately 600 residents and businesses in east Cork whose homes and premises were badly damaged by Storm Babet in October 2023, when a month's worth of rain fell in less than 24 hours, are now being told by their insurance companies that their policies are no longer valid, turning every weather warning or incident of heavy rain into a dread-infused panic. Despite 2,500 applications for flood defences in Midleton, only 344 barriers have been rolled out. Insurance companies have residents over a barrel and, if you live in east Cork, your choice seems to be between being left without insurance and constantly worrying about the risk to your home or paying astronomical insurance premiums. This is not a choice anyone should have to make. It is deeply unfair.”
“I actually rang the insurance company on the family's behalf and was told that it was a flood risk. Considering Forrest Hill's height above Midleton, a flood there would mean Midleton being wiped out. There is definitely a bit of a scandal and a farce going on. There has been a lot of anger, frustration and despair among these residents, who are working harder and harder but are being absolutely hammered by soaring prices. They simply cannot keep up with these costs, which are out of control.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' business. I commend Deputy Doherty on the tireless work he has done on this and on holding the insurance companies to some bit of account. We did not get many answers from the Minister of State. Many households who have had their renewal notices pop through their letterboxes in recent months have been shocked by huge hikes of 10% or more in their premiums, despite not having made a claim. This is nowhere more true than in my own hometown of Midleton. I have met with, talked to and campaigned with residents who have been hit with massive increases in their home insurance premiums due to living in a flood-affected area. I spoke to one particular family who lives in a estate called Forrest Hill, which is on a hill overlooking the town of Midleton.”
“I thank the Minister of State for a pretty in-depth response. Sometimes, it can be fairly flippy-floppy here. I welcome her response. I have had a case where a beneficiary was living for more than three years in a house but did not know what the actual rules were and was panicking because that person did not know whether to buy it. Since there has been a proper response, I will delve into it more myself. I understand what the Minister of State said about the Attorney General and what he said but it is nice to have it discussed. I welcome the information on the bands and group thresholds. It has actually opened my eyes. I probably should have read it from A to B. I am desperate, as I normally read something three times - three times, all the time. I welcome the response to this and I thank the Minister of State for it.”
“That is why I wanted to flag it here tonight in the hope the Minister of State will be able to give me an answer for those constituents to whom I have been talking.”
“They are unfit for purpose, given the varied family structures that operate in Ireland today. Budgetary matters can never be allowed to supersede equality matters for childless citizens. Whatever economic challenges may lie ahead in this country, the burden of inheritance tax must be urgently reformed for the betterment of all our citizens. I have dealt with a lot of elderly people who do not understand what capital acquisitions tax is. There is a fear out there, especially in the current climate where houses are so scarce. Family members are actually terrified and do not know whether they can will their properties back to their kids, cousins or whoever and what will happen. Will there be an initial financial burden, which there is?”
“For example, the Taoiseach can pass assets of up to €1.2 million to his three children tax free while the childless assistant can only pass assets worth €120,000 - ten times less - tax free to nieces and nephews. The Government now knows very well the profound financial impact the current discriminatory rules will have on childless citizens and their loved ones. Their loved ones will be faced with additional punitive taxes, running into tens of thousands and, in many cases, hundreds of thousands of euro solely because of their childless status. For so many elderly childless constituents, time may sadly not be on their side. I will continue to call for an overhaul of the inheritance tax system, as the current rules are so blatantly inequitable and discriminatory.”
“One woman has spoken to me and said she has no children of her own but her younger cousin lives with her and acts as her carer. She intends to leave the house to her cousin. However, if she does, she fears her cousin will have to sell the house in order to cover the capital acquisitions tax bill. I am not advocating for anything to be taken away from parents and their children. Instead, we are simply advocating for equality and an end to the discrimination faced by all childless citizens. It is not fair or equitable that a nephew inheriting a home valued at €400,000 from a childless uncle will have to pay a tax bill of €118,800 while a child inheriting a €400,000 home from a parent will have to pay a tax bill of €0.”
“For other relatives, a tax-free threshold of €40,000 applies, while non-relatives can receive up to €20,000 tax-free. The threshold that applies to the beneficiaries of an estate of childless adults is, quite simply, discriminatory and extremely unfair to all of Ireland's 1 million childless citizens. Among them are a significant number of LGBTQ+ folk, who face added barriers when it comes to growing a family or who simply do not wish to have children. Thankfully, Irish society has changed greatly in recent decades, and more and more people now live in situations where the traditional family model does not apply. Lately, I have been contacted by several constituents who do not have children and this issue is of real concern for them.”
“I congratulate the Minister of State. They say love is blind and marriage is an eye-opener. We in Sinn Féin believe in a tax system that is fair. As part of this, inheritance tax is an important tool to tackle inequality and invest in public services to deliver a fair society. However, the current system is highly discriminatory towards beneficiaries of estates left by people with no children. The capital acquisitions tax, CAT, regime applies a rate of 33% on gifts or inheritances above a certain tax-free threshold that depends on the beneficiary’s relationship to the person who gives them the gift or inheritance. For spouses and civil partners, inheritances are tax-free. Children inheriting from a parent can receive up to €400,000 tax-free.”
“We all have parents and they say, "Doctors differ and patients die." This poor girl has been suffering for 15 years. I am appealing to the Minister and the Minister of State tonight. If they want this national human rights strategy for people with disabilities to succeed, they have to take these cases individually and they have to think outside the box. As I said, while some people's opinions may differ from others, the job is here. No matter what it costs and no matter what the opinions are, it is about doing the right thing. I appeal to the Minister to look at this case and use this human rights strategy as a template to do the right thing.”
“I will quote, without mentioning any doctor's name or anything, from the very latest medical report that Katie Byrne got here in Ireland. I will not even mention the county. This professor said: While I appreciate the local surgeons concerns, I can assure you that this will not set her back from walking. She will be up out of bed using a walker within a day or two of surgery. Her muscles will work better due to the improved hip mechanics so they will seem stronger not weaker. We are on about empowering people and letting them live their own full lives. As I said, I have been dealing with this family for the past two years but this poor girl has been waiting 15 years for a hip operation. I have had, as I said, three health Ministers here and we cannot get answers. I am using this opportunity to appeal. There is an old saying.”
“The beaches are not wheelchair accessible. I welcome the fact that this strategy is coming, although maybe a bit late. I want to turn back to the part where the strategy states at the start that we want to ensure that disabled people are supported and empowered to live a full life. I have raised on a couple of occasions the case of Katie Byrne, who is from Cobh. On 24 September this year, she will be 15 years waiting for a hip operation. I have her file with me. The Taoiseach was talking about it today. I note the thickness of the file. I have gone to three health Ministers and one disability Minister on this. This girl is still waiting for the operation and is classed as disabled. I heard the Taoiseach say today that is a clinical decision here and they will have to look at it.”
“I welcome this opportunity to speak on the strategy this evening. The aim of this national human rights strategy for disabled people is about ensuring disabled people are supported and empowered to live a full life. I will touch on a few issues. Regarding transport and mobility, the strategy commits to taking the whole journey approach. I have raised it here through parliamentary questions on a couple of occasions. Even with the current transport strategy, there is no wheelchair access or lifts on the railway lines to Cobh, Fota and so on. We are talking about encompassing and empowering people. We have a lot of beaches in east Cork, such as Inch, Ballycroneen, White Bay, Ballybranagan, Youghal and Ballycotton. That is our secret and we do not like to tell anybody about it, but there too there are very few ramps.”
“I was not aware of it and I was in the same class. It continued into secondary school. People ran away from the school and came back qualified as solicitors and everything else but unfortunately ended their lives. Between 2000 to 2002, we had 59 suicides in east Cork, 58 of which were men. This is a huge scoping exercise. I also point out that some of the people who were responsible for this and who are accountable are still alive. Some of these principals and vice principals, Christian Brothers and lay teachers, are still alive. Others have thankfully been convicted and have died in prison but this is a huge issue. I am only speaking from my own experiences. I have been lucky enough that I was strong enough to stand back from it but there are others who have died as a result of this.”