Patricia Stephenson
Labour Panel · Social Democrats · Ireland
“A number of us on this side of the House have concerns around what this is opening us up to. We are concerned that we do not have the correct protections and safeguards in place to ensure that the supply will be State-owned and State-led because it is not included in the definitions in the legislation.”
“The world is literally on fire in some places. We have a forest fire in Ireland for the first time in years perhaps. I know we sometimes have them in the Mourne Mountains in the North. This is cause for concern, not just for future generations but for us today.”
“I thank the Minister for coming in. This is a really positive step. I am delighted she is pushing it forward. By and large, the oral contraceptive is incredibly safe. A lot of well-studied medicines are available. Over-the-counter oral contraception has been recommended by the WHO since 2019.”
“I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “ “emergency” means a situation where the State is experiencing a significant and protracted physical disruption of gas supply, or other catastrophic deterioration of the supply situation, and where— (a) all relevant market-based measures have been fully…”
“The Department has stated this facility "will provide the resilience required to support our energy transition" and that "the reserve will only be used in genuine emergencies", yet there is no definition in this Bill of what the Government means by an emergency and when that would apply.”
“We also have to be mindful of the burden it will place on pharmacists without the correct resourcing for pharmacies to deliver the scheme to safeguard against them withdrawing from this or any future scheme simply because they feel they do not have the resources to deliver it in a timely manner.”
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“I believe the Government thinks this is going to deliver radical change in the delivery of housing. I do not believe that. However, in the interests of evaluation, assessment and making a clear judgement call, this is simply having a report so that we can see. If the Minister of State believes the evidence is there and is credible that this is increasing housing supply and reducing costs for ordinary people so be it. Let us see that in the form of a report. I believe the public should know exactly who benefits from these tax breaks, how much they cost and what return the State receives. I think this will not work and the Minister of State thinks it will but having a report will be a very clear way for us to make that evaluation within six months so we can make that assessment.”
“I move recommendation No. 2: In page 99, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: “Report on tax expenditures for property developers 71. The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Seanad Éireann a report on the fiscal and housing-market effects of tax reliefs and incentives available to property developers, and on alternative approaches to achieving housing-supply objectives without such tax expenditures.”. This is a very simple amendment. It simply seeks that within six months of the passing of this Bill, the Minister shall prepare and lay before Seanad Éireann a report on the fiscal and housing market effects of tax reliefs and incentives available to property developers and on alternative approaches to achieving housing supply objectives without such tax expenditures.”
“We are reducing our tax base that we could use to pay for disability services, education, healthcare - you name it - and the plethora of problems we all see on a daily basis in our own communities. That is what it comes down to. What and who are we prioritising? We need houses built. We can chat separately about the different ideas we could bring forward on housing. The Social Democrats have ideas, which we have spoken about at length. What it really comes down to is the question of what a budget represents and who we prioritise. In this case I strongly believe it is not going to those who need it most nor do I believe we are going to suddenly see a plethora of viable homes as a consequence. We have relied on the private sector to deliver up to this point and it has not.”
“We need to get realistic about when the tax breaks will end. For building an apartment now in an urban area, including the town grants, VAT and everything added up, the breaks are about €230,000 to €260,000 per apartment. Is that enough? Will that be enough? Will we be coming next year and saying developers need more for the viability gap? At what stage is it enough to build? We can look at the profits of many of our developers - we can go into their accounts online and look at their annual profits, which is all publicly available information - and what they are drawing down and sharing with shareholders. Are we basically subsidising that as a State because they are making profit and these huge profits are then going to shareholders? That is what it comes down to.”
“I will just come back on one point. We are giving money to the unit, saying we cannot use it all in the Exchequer, that it needs to go to other social services. However, we are reducing our overall income take by these tax breaks. We would have more money in the Exchequer if we were not giving tax breaks. We have reduced by €1 billion the overall tax income with this budget than in previous budgets. I do not find that a credible point in this regard.”
“We need the State to build homes directly and not to rely on the private sector. Everyone in the Chamber knows that a budget is a reflection of a society and of who we are. This suggests that we preference tax breaks for developers over supporting those who are in most need. People are choosing between heating and eating this Christmas and winter. That is shameful.”
“Relying on tax breaks for developers has been tested previously. It did not lead to the delivery of more housing. There was a demonstration today which, I am sure, some Senators saw. The Irish Wheelchair Association and other interest groups related to the disability rights sector are talking about people living with disabilities having additional costs of up to €30,000 per year, simply for living with a disability. We then see these tax breaks for developers. With all due respect, there is no evidence that this measure is not going to line developers pockets. There is no evidence that it will lead to reduced costs for the individual buyer. While I respect the idea of first-time homes, there will be people living in tiny, single-aspect apartments who will not be able to move to the next-stage home because it will not be there.”
“Ours is a country which has championed neutrality, peace and human rights, and to which other countries across the world look to as a moral anchor on the global stage. Israel is actively killing people, imprisoning others without trial, denying Palestinians their basic rights and attempting to wipe out an entire nation, and the US Administration is sanctioning those trying to hold the Israeli state to account. I ask that we have a debate on international law in this Chamber. We need a serious debate on our role in the world because in the face of conflict across the globe and the ICC being attacked and undermined, we risk the very existence of international law that we, as a small island nation, depend on.”
“[to which] the United States, Israel and others would go to silence the voice of justice, the voice of human rights." She also said, "We are frail and we are weak only if we are isolated." Therefore, our support for her is crucial. The Tánaiste has stated that Ireland remains a steadfast supporter of Francesa Albanese and the UN. When those we support are attacked and punished for doing their jobs and for upholding international law, how do we react? If we do not actively support those responsible for implementing international law, and indeed if we do not uphold it ourselves, we risk the unravelling of these institutions. Frankly, the whole concept of international law is today balancing on a knife-edge. What Ireland does in the fact of that matters.”
“I wish to comment on the weaponisation of international sanction regimes designed to put pressure on those responsible for human rights abuses but instead being used against advocates for human rights. Francesca Albanese has again spoken in the media about the financial sanctions brought against her by the US and the crippling impact this is having on her. She has, in effect, been removed from the global banking system. In addition, the US has been openly attacking the International Criminal Court, ICC, by placing sanctions on key officials. These are targeted attacks designed to delegitimise and undermine human rights bodies and we simply cannot stand idly by while institutions designed to protect international order are being attacked. Francesca Albanese has said, "It is important that people understand the extent ...”
“People with disabilities have a basic right to advance through education, to pop into town to meet up with friends, to access healthcare screenings and to get a job, should they wish. They should have the right to live independently, if they choose to, and to codesign policies that consider their needs and opinions. Disability rights are basic human rights and must be enshrined in legislation. That is why I am delighted to support Senator Clonan's Bill. He has been a consistent advocate for disability rights throughout his time as a Senator. We cannot have resilient communities or communities that prosper if a huge proportion of them are excluded from meaningful inclusion.”
“The Government grants tax breaks and kickbacks to rich property developers and multinational fast food conglomerates. I know the Minister of State might not agree with that but that is what we saw in the most recent budget. It makes the failures for people with disabilities so much more insulting and shameful. I recognise that was not the Minister of State's brief when the budget came through. People with disabilities are not asking for the world; they are simply asking for the same rights the rest of us have. They want to be able to contribute meaningfully to society and live fulfilled lives like we all do; currently in Ireland, that is not happening. Disability services are not things the Government can offer by way of patronising piecemeal handouts.”
“We have heard from the Disability Federation of Ireland that disabled people have a much higher risk of poverty and deprivation. If you are unable to work due to disability, you are four times more likely than the national average to live in consistent poverty. We have shameful rates when it comes to people with disabilities in employment and supported employment opportunities. That is true across the island and there is much more work that can be done through an all-island approach to supported employment. I wonder why it cannot be a function of Government agencies to just say, "Yes, we'll help you. We'd be delighted to. We've got the resources. We've got the will and we're going to do it." to those in our society who deserve support the most.”
“I think most people would agree that, quite frankly, disabled people are being fleeced in many ways. In order for people with disabilities to participate fully in our society, it is imperative that all services they attend address the diversity of their needs. It is not enough for the HSE to shrug its shoulders and say, "We're sorry. We can't fulfil your specific needs. It's too expensive. It's too complex. It's too much hassle for us." I know there are amazing service providers in the HSE who wish they could do more but the options are not there for them because of the cost of services and because this is not prioritised. Disabled people should no longer hear, "We'll get to it as soon as we have time." People with disabilities cannot afford to wait for their needs to be considered.”
“It is sad to say that even this year we have seen a stripping-back of disability services in the most recent budget and that 2026 will be a particularly difficult year for people living with a disability as one-off payments have been removed. In Ireland, being disabled is incredibly expensive. On top of the usual costs we all have, a disabled person must spend another €10,000 to €15,000 per year on things like taxis, because public transport is unreliable - sometimes there is one space for a wheelchair on a given train service and it has to be booked far in advance - on medicine and medical needs, accessibility aids at home and home adaptations. That means their entrance fee to participate in life in Ireland is much higher than for the rest of us. They are faced with barriers to healthcare, education, employment and transport.”
“I am happy Ireland will have the opportunity to align with the rest of Europe on its commitments to rights-based legislation for all citizens and shed its reputation, I hope once and for all, as one of the worst places to be a disabled person in Europe. The fact you can have an assessment of need in Ireland, find out about all the things that would help you, make your life easier and support you in living a fulfilled life, and that those services currently are not even actioned on, is shocking. It is like telling someone, "This is the way things could be better for you but, I'm sorry, we're not going to follow through." I hope this legislation will be pursued and will address and put a stop to that practice.”
“Senator Flynn mentioned being all talk and no action and the idea people think they are coming into the Oireachtas for a photo opportunity. It is so bleak and so true. We all have a responsibility to do more when we talk about inclusion by actually practising it. That is true across the disability committee and all committees, in ensuring the voices of disabled people are platformed in those spaces. Disability rights issues cut across every forum, whether transport, infrastructure, healthcare, education or even foreign affairs. It is important we note that. I am very supportive of Senator Clonan's Bill. It will bind the Government to its obligations to provide essential services for people with disabilities.”
“The idea of institutionalising someone with psychiatric care, or even of them referring themselves to an institution, seems absolutely obscene. It is not getting the point. It is an outdated form of medicine that does not respond to the modern needs of women. That is why I mentioned HRT. I would love if the Minister of State would take that back to the Department for it to be taken seriously as a pathway we should explore. HRT works amazingly for certain things. Postnatal depression can also be treated with HRT. On SPHE, is that a new update in the school curriculum? PMDD is mentioned in that curriculum but the section on it is minute and does not provide enough to young girls experiencing this. It is about having an open conversation. Between 6% and 8% - almost one in ten women - suffer from this.”
“I thank the Minister of State and appreciate her commitment to this. It is brilliant that Shauna has spoken out publicly about this but it should never take women having to expose such personal things in public to get action. Will PMDD specifically be in the HSE campaign the Minister of State mentioned? While I recognise GPs are the first port of call and pathway for many people, the reality is many GPs across the country do not know this condition in detail and are not treating women or outlining the right pathways. I also want to link that to the question of psychiatric care. Maybe that will work for some but psychiatric care is not necessarily the best step for hormonal imbalance, which is what PMDD is.”
“I am also asking for an update on the public awareness plans around PMDD, including work with the Department of education, so that young people can learn about PMDD in school in an informed and sensitive way because what we see now is girls and young women who are having to navigate this experience by themselves with no information and it is absolutely harrowing. We have made some progress around women's health but PMDD remains a significant gap. What women want and what everyone deserves is clear information, a clear pathway and a health system that understands their condition and meets their needs with compassion and knowledge.”
“We are simply not meeting the needs of women in relation to diagnosing and treating painful conditions. Today, I am speaking about PMDD but this could extend to things like endometriosis as well as many other conditions where women's pain is minimised and has gone untreated for years by a healthcare system that does not believe them. Despite the severity of PMDD, many clinicians in Ireland receive little or no structured training in recognising or treating it. There is a complete training gap that urgently needs to be filled. I have raised this issue today to seek an update on how Ireland is currently diagnosing and treating PMDD and on the clinical training and guidance across women's' health and mental health services for this specific condition.”
“I am sure women across the country can talk about being prescribed the pill by a doctor as some sort of magic tool and it does not work. It was only after going private that Shauna got help in the form of hormone replacement therapy, HRT. I believe it is completely unacceptable that she had to go through this unimaginable suffering for ten years. I am very happy to note that Shauna is now doing incredibly well after getting HRT treatment through a private clinician but her story resonates beyond one person. It shines a light on what many women have been navigating silently and that is the question of medical gaslighting. It is an issue I have spoken about before in this Chamber. Unfortunately, we hear almost daily of women who have not been believed about the pain they are living with. Shauna's story is simply one more example of that.”
“All Shauna wanted was to feel well again and to live her life again. However, she now describes this as the worst decision of her life. While in psychiatric care, she was medicated so much she could not feel anything but numbness. She was misdiagnosed with several things, including unstable personality disorder. Eventually she left psychiatric care and for the next five years she spent three weeks out of every four each month floored with symptoms. Shauna undertook her own research online where she discovered she was experiencing undiagnosed PMDD. PMDD has 15 symptoms and one needs a minimum of five of them for a diagnosis. Shauna had all 15 of those symptoms. Despite this, she got no help from the public system. She was simply given the pill, which did nothing for her.”
“For many, these symptoms begin for adolescents long before they are equipped with the language or knowledge to understand what is happening to them and to their bodies. I acknowledge specifically the courage of one young woman. Her name is Shauna Halpin and she has spoken publicly about her experience. I had the privilege to meet Shauna recently and she has given me her permission to tell her story today. After years of severe symptoms, which started suddenly in her teens, including severe anxiety, depression and extreme fatigue, she started to self-harm and experienced suicidal ideation. Even though Shauna knew she did not want to die, she needed the mental suffering to end, such was the severity of her condition. In the absence of answers, she admitted herself into psychiatric healthcare, believing that was the only way to get answers.”
“I am very happy the Minister of State is here today. It is great to have a Minister from the Department answering in response to a Commencement matter. I will use my time to highlight an urgent and deeply neglected women's health issue, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, PMDD. It is a severe hormone-based mood disorder affecting an estimated 6% to 8% of women. It is debilitating and recurrent but, crucially, is treatable. Yet, in Ireland, many women have never received a diagnosis, let alone received appropriate care. PMDD is a condition that has been hidden in plain sight for far too long. It is a cyclical hormone-based disorder that affects a significant number of women. It can cause overwhelming distress and depression, often with no explanation offered by medical professionals.”
“More importantly, I am calling for a new, modern funding model, one that decouples horse racing and greyhound racing from each other, evaluates them independently and aligns public funding with public values. Until this reform is delivered, approving these regulations means perpetuating an outdated, unethical and unjustifiable system within the greyhound racing industry.”
“Why are we determined to keep this dying sector on life support? In 2023, greyhound tracks were 70% to 91% empty. Last year, attendance dropped by 25,000. Why are we spending nearly €20 million to sustain a system that produces broken bones and early deaths and where animals are treated as commodities rather than sentient beings? This is not who we are and it is not what we should fund. We are a country of animal lovers but the statistics and stories that come out of the greyhound racing industry do us absolutely no credit when we talk about being animal lovers. For all these reasons - the injuries, the traceability failures, the cost inefficiencies, the re-homing scandals, the legal classification of greyhounds as agricultural animals and the lack of any meaningful accountability - I cannot support these regulations.”
“If we truly value animal welfare and taxpayers' money then funding should go to established rescue centres with proven track records, not an industry that has failed to deliver on rehoming and animal welfare. Decoupling these funding streams is the only route to accountability. The coupling of horse and greyhound funding is the primary mechanism protecting the greyhound industry from scrutiny, yet every year, because of the statutory coupling, we are forced to approve both even if we have serious ethical concerns about one of the industries. Without decoupling, nothing changes. With decoupling, accountability for the greyhound racing industry finally becomes a possibility. Should we not pause to consider that we are one of only seven countries in the world where commercial greyhound racing is even still legal? One of seven.”
“The evidence could not be any clearer that the industry is failing these animals. The rehoming system is a facade, not a welfare solution. Greyhound Racing Ireland's care homes, as it calls them, and the Retired Greyhound Trust are frequently held up as proof of progress but the truth is stark. Facilities are presented as fostering but they are actually functioning as holding units. More than €1 million was spent in 2024 on this model, which is over €8,000 per dog, and only ten dogs at a time can be cared for. Contrast this with the ISPCA, which, including its enforcement duty, received the equivalent of just under €900 per dog. DEEL Sighthound Rescue in Limerick rehomed 143 dogs last year, 23 of them ex-racing greyhounds, and it received just €15,500 from the State, which was about €75 per dog. It cost DEEL to do the rehoming.”
“Greyhounds are still dying at the same rate as they were in 2019. Despite the promised reforms and despite the €400 million we heard was spent on it last year, animal welfare remains very low. The traceability system, far from providing welfare improvements, has exposed just how deep the problem is. According to RCÉ's own system, of the greyhounds born in 2021, the first full year of traceability, 41% are already dead or unaccounted for. These are dogs under five years old. They would be five years old if they were around today but nearly half of them are gone. Last year was the worst on record for greyhound welfare outcomes and yet we continue to hear claims of improvement, including at the agriculture committee last night, based on a six-year-old report that bears no resemblance to present realities.”
“In 2019, we were all very aware of the RTÉ documentary, "Greyhounds Running for Their Lives", which justifiably sparked national outrage by exposing the grim reality that over 6,000 dogs were being put down annually simply for the reason that they could not run fast enough. Some improvements have been made, but major problems remain, and that shows how deep the crisis is. I am aware that trainers themselves are concerned about the high death rates and track injuries, particularly compared with rates we are seeing in Britain. The figures are appalling. We have heard for years that greyhound welfare is a priority. Why is it that in 2024 we saw more track-related greyhound deaths than ever before? The greyhound industry is not approaching animal protection in a modern or humane way. Traceability has exposed, not solved, the welfare crisis.”
“The result is that greyhound racing receives unconditional public funding, insulated from the scrutiny and accountability we would expect elsewhere. These dogs did not ask for this life. They did not ask for broken legs, crushed vertebrae, dislocated wrists, torn muscles, ruptured tendons or catastrophic spinal injuries, all of which are regularly recorded on Irish tracks, never mind the cruel practice of surgical artificial insemination, which is indeed incredibly barbaric. Some of these injuries are so severe that euthanasia happens on site. Others are treatable, but not economically worth it for the industry. We know dogs are routinely euthanised simply because they cannot run fast enough. The issue of track-related deaths barely scratches the surface of the broader crisis facing the industry.”
“I will not be supporting this motion. Budget 2026 saw almost €20 million being used to prop up a declining greyhound industry. This industry does not enjoy widespread public support, largely due to the significant and widely known animal welfare concerns. I reject the continuous tying together of the horse racing and greyhound industry funding model. This motion once again binds together the two into a single inflexible funding model. While these regulations appear technical, they have real consequences. Every year, this structure forces the Oireachtas to approve a package that allocates an 80-20 split that is automatic, regardless of performance, public interest or welfare outcomes. In addition, the greyhound racing industry is totally self-regulated.”
“Our duty of care to those seeking safety is not an optional, nice little extra to have; it is our legal responsibility under international law. It is also basic decency and, from the memory of our own families who crossed borders, it is our obligation and responsibility.”
“The language used shifts responsibility away from the Government's policy decisions across a plethora of different policy areas onto vulnerable people. What that has produced is a culture of confusion, fear, division and, at times, as we have seen, unimaginable violence. To be clear, people have a legal right to seek international protection in Ireland and, indeed, in any other European country. Is it now Government policy to support fortress Europe, to close the door and tell people fleeing war and persecution that there is no space for them here, no room at the inn and no safety for them in our country? We have travelled across the world, over generations, decades and centuries, seeking safety elsewhere when our country could not look after us.”
“The Government chooses to use lazy tactics, quite frankly, to distract from the fact that it has no intention of engaging with the communities that are suffering from years of disinvestment and neglect. People are struggling because the foundations of a fair society have been eroded, not because a family in need has arrived. The Government's messaging on this over the last few weeks and months has been deeply problematic and unhelpful. It has promoted the notion of being overwhelmed and implied that the arrival of migrants is somehow the cause of long-standing Government failures. This motion continues to peddle that false narrative by saying that international protection applications have increased when we have actually seen a 43% drop this year.”
“He put it beautifully about the positive impact that different types of migration have had specifically on Ireland. We are under a lot of pressure in Ireland, both when it comes to our immigration system, the IPAS system, housing, education, healthcare and childcare. They are very legitimate concerns of communities. It is the consequence of decades of neglect by successive governments. The concerns are not caused by vulnerable migrants fleeing war, famine and persecution but are the result of years of government decisions, including the refusal to build public housing at scale, the starving of our health and education systems and the hollowing out of community services, as well as the spiralling cost of living.”
“We should be really clear about one thing when we talk about aligning ourselves further with the UK. The narrative in the UK at the moment is they want to pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is a cornerstone of the Good Friday Agreement, so I would caution any move towards that in Ireland. It is deeply problematic that we are even touching on that. Successive Governments have built a system where profit is being made off of human suffering. We can talk here and say that we want to move IPAS centres into the public space, but we have been asking for that for a very long time. It is obscene that so much is being spent on private providers to house people in inhumane conditions. I want to lend my support to what Senator Clonan said.”
“We have witnessed the crime of a generation. In the face of that, why can we not do the bare minimum? People are watching the proceedings of the Dáil today. A motion on the occupied territories Bill is being brought forward by the Opposition. The vast majority of people in Ireland support the passing of the occupied territories Bill. The situation in Gaza and the West Bank continues to worsen. The passing of this Bill will send a very clear and loud message that our Government went in defence of Palestinians. The failure to pass this Bill suggests that our Government went to defend Palestinians but chickened out at the last minute. I do not think anyone in this Chamber wants that.”
“In fact, we know one company in Ireland is facing a criminal investigation over accommodation listings in Israeli settlements. Reputation is a two-way street and we have as much to lose internationally should the Government renege on its promise to pass the occupied territories Bill. I want to reinforce the point that the Government could be reneging on a promise made to the electorate less than one year ago. The Bill can be implemented, is legally sound and, in no uncertain terms, it is our obligation under international law to cease trade with illegal Israeli settlements. The Bill must include services because without services it does not make us compliant with the International Court of Justice ruling and, indeed, international law. I have said in the Chamber before, it is simply that black and white. Frankly, it is the bare minimum.”
“At the same time, in the West Bank we know the settler movement is emboldened to unprecedented levels, aided by blatant collusion with the IDF. Palestinian villages have been targeted with vicious arson attacks. Never mind the fact that we are legally obligated to pass the Bill, the levels of violence in the West Bank make it more crucial than ever. We keep hearing ghost stories of reputational damage internationally if the Bill were to be implemented, but no one can say with any authority what that damage might be. We heard from the American Chamber of Commerce at the foreign affairs committee and it said that not one of its members in the past year has voiced intent to pull back its operations in Ireland should the Bill be passed.”
“The Tánaiste said in April that the Government would use all tools at its disposal in response to the genocide in Gaza. He said the occupied territories Bill would be back in these Houses to be passed by the end of November, yet there is still no sign of it. The work has already been done. We have had seven years to hash out the implementation of the Bill. The foreign affairs committee unanimously agreed on a cross-party basis to recommend the full implementation of the Bill, with services. Have any of the committee's recommendations been acted on by the Government? I do not know what more one can possibly say to delay the Bill because for every half-baked excuse the Government has had a solution has been provided.”
“I move amendment No. 12: In page 14, lines 8 and 9, to delete “but that have as their main purpose the prevention, restriction or penalisation of” and substitute “have the effect of preventing, restricting or penalising”. I withdraw the amendment but will bring it back on Report Stage.”
“The transition to renewables cannot be at the expense of rural communities or families who are already struggling with high costs. Climate action must go hand in hand with fairness, and that is the principle that has guided the approach of the Social Democrats. While this investment in the grid is welcome, we need to be looking at embedding the public interest more firmly in how energy is generated, distributed and priced.”
“The reality is that current investment in the grid is ultimately going to benefit large corporations as energy is prioritised for data centres. We have 87 data centres in Ireland, maybe 11 under development and maybe another 30 with planning approved. We need to see more strategic management of data centres because, at the moment, that is not what is happening. Under current projections, 30% of our electricity demand will be coming from the data centre industry by 2030, within the next five years. That is compared with 2% to 3% of our European counterparts. That difference is significant, and it is concerning when it comes to domestic energy management needs. If we are serious about building a resilient and low carbon electricity system, then we have to do it in a way that is socially just.”
“Thousands were left without power, in some places for days, relying on families and neighbours around them and the goodwill of farmers who had generators for their business. They were relying on the goodwill of those around them. It is a stark reminder that the resilience of the grid must be a central part of any reform efforts. Rural communities cannot be left in the dark, whether that is literally or figuratively, every winter as severe weather hits. Our national grid is ageing. Investment has indeed lagged and renewable connections face long delays. At the same time, energy intensive projects, such as large data centres, continue to be approved without adequate assessment of their impact on supply, emissions and consumers' bills.”
“Families are still paying inflated prices long after wholesale energy costs have fallen. This is simply not good enough. Energy is not a luxury; it is a public good. It heats our homes, powers our hospitals and keeps our economy moving. It should never be treated as a commodity to be exploited but as an essential service that must serve the public interest first. The intention of this Bill is welcome. It seeks to modernise our electricity supply arrangements to support renewables and ensure security of supply. However, we must be clear. The system as it stands is not working fairly for everybody. Storm Éowyn once again exposed the vulnerability of our network, particularly across rural Ireland, as we heard from Senator Cosgrove.”
“This Bill represents a huge and welcome investment in our future energy supply and infrastructure and is desperately needed, so I welcome it. However, we have an issue in Ireland when it comes to equity and fairness in the electricity framework that we currently have. This legislation comes at us at a time when Ireland's electricity system is under significant pressure and households and small businesses are struggling with energy bills that remain far too high. Additional investment in the grid are welcome, but it cannot result in additional costs for consumers, as is usually the case. Often, we see consumers taking the hit on additional investment in the grid. People's electricity bills are soaring and families are making the decisions between heating and eating this winter.”
“I support the motion and thank Senator Curley for calling for this reform of the RACE framework and full implementation of the recommendation to allow extra time for students with specific learning differences in advance of the 2026 exam cycle. We have the evidence and recommendations. We just need the will to act on them.”
“In Northern Ireland, students have this support in their A-levels as well. Even in the South, our third level institutions provide extra time to students who need it. The contradiction is that many students may never get a chance to even reach third level because the leaving certificate system holds them back. These are bright students who can excel in academia should they wish. They are blocked at one of the first hurdles. These young people are not looking for extra special treatment, just a fair opportunity, a fair chance and an exam system that measures what they know and not how fast they can read or what they can do under pressure.”