Paul Lawless
Mayo · Aontú · Ireland
“Confidence in our education system depends on quality resources but parents remain seriously concerned about inappropriate material that is being promoted in our schools, libraries, etc. Concerns have been raised in relation to the book What's the T?”
“They would make up a higher proportion of the membership of the Dáil than is the case at Westminster. Aontú's leader, Deputy Peadar Tóibín, during his time on the Oireachtas enterprise committee, completed the first Oireachtas report on the all-island economy.”
“Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace — respect for diversity. Aontú believes fundamentally in a united Ireland.”
“It is important that those who oppose a united Ireland - who are now a minority on this island, and increasingly so - are treated as equals and with the respect they deserve in the discussions relating to a united Ireland. I have good friends from the Protestant tradition to whom I speak on a near daily basis.”
“The Tánaiste once said that he wanted to make Ireland the best country in the world in which to raise a child. He is failing in that regard. We have a situation where we have record homelessness among children, spinal surgery waiting lists and children with special needs or disabilities who are waiting for supports.”
“Rather than celebrating and respecting our differences and our right to be different politically or religiously, they wish to make us all the same. They want to make us all apolitical atheists who never speak on or campaign in respect of the issues.”
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“I welcome the Minister and wish him all the best in the years ahead. I also welcome the IFA president, Mr Francie Gorman, who is here. There are so many issues we could talk about, from GAEC 2 and the major concerns farmers have about it, to the ACRES scheme and the lack of payments, forestry issues, the Mercosur deal, and the TB issue my colleague referenced. There are major concerns with the EU's direction on CAP and the removal of its ring-fenced nature. We must remember where CAP came from. It was the policy that would regulate and guarantee food security across Europe post the Second World War. In many ways, it was EU policy that ensured farmers were removed from the product they produced in terms of profit, making farmers reliant on the postman and the cheque.”
“First Choice Credit Union has announced reduced opening hours at several credit unions across Mayo, namely those in Achill, Balla, Ballyhaunis, Swinford and Kiltimagh. This is the latest onslaught and the latest decline. Ballyhaunis and Kiltimagh, for example, recently lost two of their banks. The credit union is the last banking institution left in these towns. These were once thriving towns and the loss of the banks has resulted in a loss of economic activity. Ballyhaunis Chamber has launched a petition to save the credit union in its town and to ensure that the opening hours there are maintained. We have already lost two banks in Kiltimagh and Ballyhaunis under the Government's watch. Will the Minister sign the petition from Ballyhaunis Chamber? Will she intervene and protect the last banking institutions in these towns?”
“A pint in a pub is a healthier pint. There is a social dimension and, crucially, there is a referee. Government policy over recent years has hurt rural pubs. An average of 150 pubs close every year. Over the last 20 years, 2,000 pubs have closed. I raise the issue of excise duty and various different taxes. A third of the cost of a pint goes on excise duty. It is the second highest in Europe and it is hammering rural pubs. Rural pubs are the centre of our communities. They are not just local businesses. They are the heart of where fundraising happens and the focal point or pivot point of our communities. I know of a local publican who dispensed eye drops for a local bachelor for many years until he died. That is what the rural pub in Ireland is. The VFI is seeking a modest 40% rebate on excise duty.”
“There is one important point that I have raised before with the Minister. There have been promises regarding wastewater treatment plants in County Mayo, for example, in Newport, and people have no idea what is happening. I met with Uisce Éireann officials recently. The issue is now with the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority. It needs to be looked at. I wish I had more speaking time but I would appreciate it if the Minister examines the issue.”
“It needs to be looked at and reviewed. We need to end the practice of lengthy delays in the planning system. An earlier speaker referred earlier to the fact there are 100,000 acres of zoned land. The reality is that much of the zoned land in the country is zoned but there is no appetite among those people and farmers to develop that. We need to be much more proactive and we need a more flexible system. We need the local authorities and local councillors involved in the decisions on zoning land. There is no point looking on Google Maps and having planners in an office deciding what to zone if there is no appetite on the ground for this. It needs to be looked at. The previous two Governments dezoned land and they also zoned land that farmers have no interest in building on. There is never going to be movement unless we address that issue.”
“My question to the Minister is what is the level of accountability in this regard. If a State agency is not meeting its statutory obligations, there should be a penalty. If there is a reason for that, it needs to be adequately resourced. This is an emergency situation but it is not being treated like that at the moment. During the week, I was struck by the comments made by the CEO of Uisce Éireann, Niall Gleeson, that objectors are costing the State billions of euro. He used a new term. It used to be NIMBYism but it is now BANANA, build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything. This is a major difficulty. People are going through the wringer when it comes to An Bord Pleanála, they finally get approval and then before they know it, there are environmental objections and judicial reviews. This is holding up progress across the country.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I only have three and a half minutes and there are so many issues. My first point is that there are major delays with An Bord Pleanála. I know people in my constituency who have been years in the planning system. It took them months to get the planning and then more than a year waiting for a decision on an appeal to An Bord Pleanála. I appreciate the Minister has made some progress on the timeframes but many people are still waiting more than a year for decisions on appeals. This is an emergency. People are attending my clinics every single week who are homeless and living with their parents into their 30s and 40s. They are seeking a very basic thing. It is deeply frustrating when we see such delays with planning.”
“We are going to do the same thing again. That is why the teachers are balloting. I ask the Minister and the Minister of State to engage with the unions in a respectful way that will bring about reform that will be tolerable for teachers and students alike.”
“We need to nurture students, not only those in the university system but also those at second level. The Minister for Education is not listening to teachers. Members of the ASTI and the TUI are set to ballot. The reason for this is because the lessons and the mistakes that were made in the context of junior cycle reform are set to be repeated in the reform of the leaving certificate. There are major concerns in the teaching sector. On the idea that we dumbed down junior cycle, it must be stated that we failed to listen to teachers when it came to reforming that cycle.”
“I know young people who have gone on their apprenticeship journey, and the delays in the system have resulted in it taking them years to get their qualifications. We would not treat those studying to be teachers, doctors or members of the legal profession with such little regard. I plead with the Minister to address the issues relating to the apprenticeship system. It is only right and proper that people who go into trades know that if they satisfy the criteria relating to work experience and examinations, they should qualify within a timeframe of four years or whatever. Currently, that is not happening. It is no wonder that people are not going into the trades that we so desperately need in the country. There is a major issue with the dropout rate relating to third level.”
“I will start by wishing the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, the best of luck for the years ahead. I am of the view that apprentices have been treated like second-class citizens in comparison with their counterparts in the university system. I spoke to a builder the other day who told me he could hire 20 lads tomorrow morning if he could find them. That is a major issue. We will never build enough houses or infrastructure unless we can address the manpower issue in the country. There is no doubt that there has been an attitude of snobbery towards the trades, particularly the wet trades, in recent years. That has come from the Government as well.”
“It stated that 60% of teachers voted against removing faith in education in our schools. They did so because parents actually do not support its removal. This is the case in many schools, I am not saying all. That is our perspective and that should be supported. Where, as the survey dictates, parents are happy with their school ethos then we should support that. The Irish Times also found that 70% of parents want their children to receive faith-based instruction. I ask the Minister to consider this contribution as well.”
“All children should be supported and families who wish to have their children in a school that is similar to their ethos should be supported. I am really disappointed that this is not captured in the motion. Article 42 of the Constitution states that parents are the primary educators for their child. In that sense I do support the Minister's contribution earlier today around the survey that would seek to acknowledge that and support this in the education system. It is curious that the Social Democrats advocate for the removal of faith because of its perceived lack of evidence and yet they have no problem supporting a gender ideology in schools and puberty blockers, which have no basis in education at all. The Minister referred earlier to a recent survey from the INTO at the conference.”
“On the support for divestment, we believe that parents should have a choice. The choice must acknowledge and must recognise that where parents decide they support the ethos of their school the Social Democrats should not overrule or override that. This is what choice and pluralism actually means. Today's motion seeks to ban new schools in terms of faith patronage and to ban faith instruction. There is nothing pluralistic about that. What other countries in the world have sought to ban education pluralism? North Korea and Cuba. Those countries are not something we should be following. Politicians should never try to enforce their own rules on the public. We should celebrate the differences in our society and allow culture to be supported. I come from a teaching background.”
“I wish to start by congratulating the new Pope. I believe there is white smoke in the Vatican. I congratulate the new Pope. It is great news. I read the motion and I listened to the Social Democrats' contributions. To be honest I am quite surprised. They talk about pluralism and choice but it seems that the only choice they want to provide is the choice of those people who agree with them. There are thousands of families who are happy with the ethos of their school and who support the ethos of their school. Yet the motion seeks to deny parents, principals, teachers, and boards of management the ability to decide the ethos of their school. There is nothing pluralistic about this motion. I believe that pluralism is about inclusion and supporting the diversity in our culture. This is what we should be doing.”
“He has an important seat at Cabinet. I understand he is the Minister for Justice but he is at Cabinet and this is a significant issue. It is going to hurt many businesses across Mayo if it is not addressed. I welcome the proposal around the outdoor seating and its extension. It is a common sense, practical solution but placing rates on new facilities or new seating is not acceptable. I ask the Minister to consider working with the local authorities on that.”
“I welcome the proposal which has been a positive introduction for many businesses in the hospitality sector. However, like the previous Deputy, I would like to raise issues around local authorities rating outdoor seating. It is very unfair on businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, which have been hammered in recent years. The increased cost of doing business has resulted in margins tightening and a reduction in tourist numbers. We need to seriously address issues in the hospitality sector before more businesses go to the wall. I held a number of constituency clinics in Mayo recently. Almost before I sat down, business people were my first constituents and what did they talk about? The VAT. It is crippling-----”
“Is it the case that the works are continuing for another application to be submitted? What are the Government's plans for an IPAS centre in Belmullet? It is totally wrong. The Government's policy at the moment is that people will find out when the scaffolding is erected or when people move in. This is unacceptable. It is no way to treat the people of this country.”
“I have raised this previously. I submitted a parliamentary question about St. Mary's school in Ballina and the reply was astonishing. The Department said that it is not being considered at the moment but may be again. When will the people find out? The works are continuing.”
“When it comes to IPAS developments, the Government is treating people like mushrooms by keeping them in the dark and feeding them dung. That is what is happening right across this country. It has allowed a vacuum of information to develop whereby it is another day, another rumour. I refer to the Belmont Hotel, St. Mary's Secondary School in Ballina and, most recently, Belmullet. I got a call the other day from a construction worker who was due to price a proposed IPAS centre in the town. This is how people are finding out - by accident. That is what is happening. When will the Government remove the planning circumvention which was designed to ensure that the people have no say in relation to what is happening in their community? What is happening to the Belmont Hotel in Knock? Is it an IPAS centre or a hotel?”
“As part of the Government’s review of childcare and the core funding model, which is seriously needed, more supports should be given to families, particularly in the early years, to support the choice of staying at home with a financial package, such as a subvention.”
“Can I have Minister of State’s attention for a brief moment? There will be no one to replace these childcare providers. Under the core funding model, rates have been frozen for the past three years. Meanwhile, the costs of business, energy, labour, insurance and rates are all rising. However, childcare providers do not have the ability to increase their rates and many are seeking to leave the industry. There are major issues with regard to administration. The core funding model has created an administrative burden, particularly in the context of additional requests around accounting practices. This needs to be seriously looked at. An Amárach study found that two thirds of mothers would like the option of staying at home.”
“I wish to raise serious concerns about childcare in my area. There is no doubt that childcare has become like a second mortgage for families. It is crippling many young families. While there are significant issues throughout the country, I will raise an issue in my area of Mayo. Claremorris is a town with fewer than 4,000 people. Such is the lack of childcare places that one childcare provider alone has more than 100 children on its waiting list. These are families where parents have obtained job offers and, in many cases, where mothers want to get back to work. They have been offered employment but simply cannot accept it because they have no childcare place for their child. From speaking to childcare providers, a litany of issues is preventing more childcare providers from entering the industry. Many are actually contemplating leaving.”
“However, we have no detail on Carrie's case and what happened to her. There are three other cases before the NIRP that we have no detail on whatsoever. I ask the Minister for transparency in these cases. Is she aware of these reports and their contents? The saddest thing about the case of Grace and the commission is that Grace was non-verbal and she was unable to speak for herself but the testimony provided by her lawyers is not contained within the report. It really is a shocking situation.”
“Third is the complete omission of the testimonies supplied to the commission from the lawyers representing Grace. The head of the commission should come before an Oireachtas committee to answer questions about the findings, how it took €20 million of taxpayers' money and that it took nearly a decade to produce. We in Aontú have discovered through freedom of information that the National Independent Review Panel, NIRP, which is tasked with examining other severe cases similar to that of Grace, has received five referrals from the HSE. The documents we have received are heavily redacted. However, we have been able to ascertain that one of the reports relates to the horrific case of Brandon in Donegal. Another report relates to a 17-year-old girl by the name of Carrie who ultimately died of suicide.”
“I commend the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy John McGuinness, on his many years of great work and the enormous detail he has revealed in highlighting the very tragic case of Grace. I have no doubt he must be very disappointed in recent weeks at the injustice and the lack of justice that was served in this case. Child protection is a very important issue for us in Aontú. We have serious problems with and concerns about the report produced by the commission of investigation. First is its failure to conclude sexual abuse despite the significant evidence and indeed a HSE payout. Second is its attitude in not following up on the other 47 children who were in this particular care home. It is really unthinkable that the commission did not go to the lengths required in order to find these cases and hear from the full 47 children in the care home.”
“I am sure the Minister will acknowledge that lone parents are vulnerable and have a difficult time. According to the ESRI, there is a huge risk of economic vulnerability. We should do everything we can. I will certainly work with him on any of those families who may be at risk and who fall in that gap in terms of the payment. I welcome what the Minister said to Deputy O'Reilly on child maintenance and the means test. The programme for Government commits to supporting lone parents and I look forward to working with the Minister to ensure that supports continue. I hope we can work with the Minister to ensure that no family will be taken off the lone parents support at the end of the year.”
“I welcome the Minister's comments on the nutritional review of the school meals programme. I acknowledge and commend the great work of the companies right across the country, including in Mayo, in delivering school meals. Companies like Steak Out catering, for example, are delivering high-quality nutritional meals to hundreds of children across east and south Mayo, in particular. My question concerns the one-parent family payment and a half-rate carer's allowance. There are many concerns over these very vulnerable families. Given that this payment is due to end at the end of the year, are there any plans for a transitional payment to protect these families during what will be very difficult time?”
“The Irish Government, under pressure from Aontú and other groups, took a case against the British Government to the European Court of Human Rights on the legacy Act. What is happening with this case and when can the families who have been wronged so terribly receive justice?”
“The legacy Act gives an amnesty to murderers and blocks the families of murdered civilians from achieving justice. It is the son and heir of the cover-up by the British Army and RUC for some of the most heinous crimes in the North. It is unilateral action that actually undermines human law and human justice. It turns Britain into an outlier and indeed a rogue state. It is heaping more pain and suffering on so many families, who have already suffered so terribly under the hands of the British state. Today is the one-year anniversary of the Act. Sean Brown was abducted outside a GAA club in Bellaghy, County Derry, and shot dead by loyalists in 1997. Intelligence has clearly linked British state agents to the murder. The British Government is doing all it can to frustrate the inquiry.”
“The framework rather. There is not even a mention, or hardly a mention, of it. That is hardly progress. We need real delivery. I do not have any longer but could go on to speak about a litany of things in relation to this. I ask the Minister of State to focus on the delivery.”
“I wonder if this is purposely done given that we are so far off our targets. Is it purposely done to reduce the targets? The Housing Commission does not agree with the targets contained in this report. The apprenticeship situation is a major issue. In order to build more houses and more infrastructure, we need manpower. Apprenticeships are mentioned once in the report. The reference is in the context of more collaboration around cross-Border apprenticeships. I have friends who have been waiting for years to be called to the next phase. We have made the apprenticeship system a second class citizen to the universities and yet we wonder why we cannot attract more people into trades, which we so desperately need. This report is meant to set out the blueprint-----”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the national planning framework. I welcome any attempts to future-proof infrastructure in this country. I am very disappointed, however, in reading the report. It is high on vision but it is almost like the report is detached from reality. I do not have long but I will give just one example. The report references the value and importance of the serviced sites scheme. I put it to the Minister of State that there is no serviced sites scheme in Mayo. Despite several attempts by many councillors there are none. You would not think that from reading the report. Another point I wish to raise relates to the housing targets. We saw in 2018 that the same report underestimated the demand in housing. We see this again in this report. The Housing Commission has said that we need to build 60,000 houses.”
“When are these endless promises going to be met? The Government has made commitments this year. There is a huge shortage of psychologists and speech and language therapists and yet there is major bureaucracy around qualifying for the people, including young people, who want to access these careers. I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, to prioritise these vulnerable children.”
“Children without assessments of need are very often left at the bottom of the queue. That is the reality. I know of a school in Mayo where children have an assessment of need and yet, due to the lack of resources, prioritisation is necessary. In this case, prioritisation was given to the younger child because it was believed that he would be longer in the school system. The older child was, essentially, left. That is what is happening on the ground. It is very disappointing that the Minister, Deputy McEntee's statement shows such a lack of understanding of what is happening on the ground. I could go through years of statements where the Government and the previous one, and the Government from 2011, made commitments and realised the importance of early intervention. However, so little is happening on the ground.”
“There is a window of opportunity where children are undergoing rapid development from the ages of five, seven and ten. That age is critical. It is critical because to lose this opportunity for these children is a devastating loss. We know that early intervention and early resources at this critical age will have a dramatic impact on the ability of these children to live their lives independently. It is a sin and a crime that these children are being failed at such an important developmental time in their lives. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, stated recently in a response that children do not require a diagnosis or an assessment of need to access services. While this is technically true, it shows an extreme lack of understanding of what is happening on the ground.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and I welcome the parents here in the Public Gallery. They are the warriors who have been fighting so hard. They have been fighting, taking legal action and pitching tents outside Leinster House. What are they fighting for? They are fighting for their basic rights and their constitutionally enshrined rights for access to education. I was at a fair in Mayo over the Easter holidays and I met a beautiful family. The mother was nearly in tears because her child has no place in the education system. The child is locked out of the education system. There are 14,000 children across this State waiting for assessments of need. Some 13,000 children are waiting for their first contact with the children's disability network.”
“Are we allowing this to continue without any accountability? It certainly seems, from reviewing the board in terms of its experience, that there is a real lack of medical experience on that board. I urge the Minister to take immediate action to ensure that this never happens again.”
“The external report outlined that over 150 cases were assessed, 2% of which involved unnecessary surgeries in Crumlin. Incredibly, 60% of the surgeries carried out in Temple Street were not necessary. Almost 80% of the surgeries that happened in Cappagh hospital were not necessary. A draft report was delivered to CHI management in January. The families impacted are still none the wiser. Does the Government not think that transparency and communication are important for these families? These were unnecessary surgeries involving needless pain. Children went through unnecessary recovery periods. Patients deserve answers and certainty about what is happening. We cannot allow this situation to continue without any accountability. CHI will receive the keys of the new national children's hospital in the coming weeks and months.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. I first want to acknowledge the pain and heartbreak that this has brought to so many families and children, particularly children who went through unnecessary and needless surgery. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that those families have gone through. We think of medical professionals as people we can trust and we entrust our children to their hands, yet we see such a failure for so many families. A protected disclosure to the Department of Health happened in September 2023. If it emerges that unnecessary surgeries continued beyond this point, there are serious questions that need to be answered. Did the surgeries continue, for example, beyond the time that the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, was informed about what was happening?”
“Westport is already covering for Castlebar. Westport covers a region out to Achill Island. If a call happens in Balla or Castlebar and there is no squad car to attend, maybe because a guard is attending court, the Westport squad car will have to leave Achill and go to Balla. This is happening already. It is going to get worse. The GRA will be discussing issues around morale, manpower and bureaucracy, but the Minister is not there. He is not there to attend for the second year in a row. This is unacceptable. What will the Taoiseach do to address rural policing, beef up regular units and ensure that we have specialist units?”
“The new policing model is not working. One of the main aims of the model was to increase community policing. In fact, the opposite has happened. One of the main reasons for that is manpower. The regular units have been depleted. In many stations across Mayo, the regular units are half what they were a number of years ago. Internal competitions are pulling from regular units and, because there are no new recruits to An Garda Síochána in Mayo, for example, there is nobody to replace them. Mayo has received just one new recruit in the past three years. As a result of this, regular units are down to three, four or five members. There are major concerns in Castlebar station, where a unit is at risk of going down to three members as a result of an internal competition. This will cause major difficulties.”
“Newport is a small town and, if that is the case, then clearly Uisce Éireann will invest in towns where it can recoup the investment made.”
“I appreciate that Uisce Éireann has made progress nationally. There is no question about that, but my question is specific to Newport. That is why I am raising this issue. What I really want to know is whether the Minister will engage with Uisce Éireann to provide regular updates in relation to it? As I said, we cannot arrive at a situation in 2030 where no progress has been made. This is really important. As of yet, Uisce Éireann has no licence for this. When is that decision due? Will the Minister commit to ensuring regular updates for the people of Newport? I appreciate there has been progress in other parts of the country but I have a concern. If this is left entirely to Uisce Éireann, will the commercial aspect of this be factored into the decision-making around what project happens next?”
“Out of respect for the people of Newport, it is only right and proper that we should engage with them in a way they deserve.”
“If that is the case, the Minister of State needs to intervene to ensure Newport gets the treatment plant it deserves. I have raised this with the Taoiseach, who acknowledged that there should be progress updates and that people should know what is happening. I met the committee recently and its members have no idea. There is no transparency on this now. We understand that this project may take time, but equally we must give people transparency as to what is happening. We cannot get to 2030 and find that it has been pushed back by another decade, which is effectively what has happened heretofore. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to engage with Uisce Éireann. He needs to ensure that the people and the committee receive regular updates on the wastewater treatment plant in Newport. It is crucial that this happens.”
“The people of Newport and the committee have been promised a wastewater treatment plant for decades. The most recent promise was that the plant was due to be delivered in 2021 but that failed to materialise. According to Uisce Éireann, the current state of progress is stage 2, a preliminary business case. I understand Uisce Éireann has yet to be granted a licence to survey the coastline in the region for a suitable location for this site. It is incredible that after so many decades and so many promises Uisce Éireann still has no licence to engage in surveys of the area. If this is entirely left up to Uisce Éireann, will it just be a commercial decision? For example, will Uisce Éireann go to the bigger towns where it can recoup its investment through water connection charges and business water charges?”
“Newport is a beautiful town on the west coast of Mayo, nestled in the stunning Clew Bay. However, Newport has no wastewater treatment plant and, as a result, raw sewage is being pumped into Clew Bay on a daily basis. It is affecting the ecosystem and fish stocks. It is creating foul odour and preventing housing development, economic development and, of course, recreational activities for the town. The lack of a wastewater treatment plant has robbed the town of its potential over decades - the potential for housing development, economic development and tourism. It is a beautiful town, an absolutely stunning town, yet so much has been stolen from it. I recently spoke to a member of a kayaking club who can no longer engage in water sports in the area, such is the damage that is being done by the lack of a treatment facility.”
“They are on the ground and know the areas that need to be prioritised and where future development is required. None of this local knowledge feeds into Uisce Éireann's plan whatsoever. That is a major difficulty. If we want to strengthen local government and the power of local politicians, we must start by taking power from these faceless entities and giving it back. We must ensure that the people have more say in respect of this issue.”
“Prior to the establishment of Uisce Éireann in 2014, local authorities had autonomy around projects for wastewater and water treatment plants. That responsibility has now gone over to Uisce Éireann. It is operating and making decisions on the basis of commercial considerations. As a result, we are seeing the prioritisation of town centres and large towns while villages are left behind. That is happening. There is no communication with local authorities, county councillors and so on. Uisce Éireann has become a faceless entity. It is very difficult as a public representative to get answers from Uisce Éireann. Local authorities should have more say over projects. I ask the Minister to engage with Uisce Éireann and develop a plan to allocate a certain budget to local authorities for local councillors to decide.”