Paul McAuliffe
Dublin North-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“In the context of the previous Government, some of our Green Party colleagues were also supportive of this for a range of other reasons relating to delivering the circular economy. From what I hear, one outcome of the review could be the creation of a franchised service.”
“It would allow it to say that in the context of my area of Finglas, it is not appropriate that because an area is more affluent, people living in that road have access to five bin companies and because somewhere else is less affluent, it is stuck with one bin company.”
“I made a commitment to Deputies Gannon and Sherlock in 2019 in an agreement we signed together to pursue the issue of remunicipalisation. It was the right thing to do then and it is the right thing to do now. It is not an accident that there are many Dublin-based Deputies in the House for this debate.”
“If Dublin City Council had been allowed address the housing crisis back in 2012, 2013 or 2014, when it was impacting the city far more than anywhere else, we would have been ahead of the curve.”
“-----to put in place waste solutions that suit their areas. If this means that there is a different solution in Dublin City Council's area than in the other local authority areas across the county, then that is how it should be. Unfortunately, that power rests with the chief executive.”
“To break that down a little, the issues Deputies Gannon and Sherlock are having in the city centre are vastly different from the ones that are relevant in my constituency. We do not have an issue with bags. Nor do we have the same street structures or networks.”
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“Perhaps on this occasion the commission made a decision not to include an executive summary to avoid a similar situation. However, the failure to have some consolidated findings made it very difficult for me, as a legislator, to consume what happened. I cannot say that I have read the report in full because it was incredibly difficult. It would require several readings to try to establish all of the facts in my own head. There is more work to be done and the disability matters committee is the place to do it. I would urge the Government to consider whether tribunals of inquiry provide "value" - and I use the word loosely again - to the State but particularly to the victims of the injustices that tribunals often investigate.”
“He has spoken very passionately about this case and whatever I know about it is in no small part due to the Deputy's contributions to our meetings. While it is incredibly complex and involves lots of different communications between officials and so on, I found it very difficult to find a consolidated version of the commission's findings. I found that I was really actively using the find function in the PDF to try to piece things together. The lack of an executive summary is a failing. In the past, executive summaries were criticised because they did not give the result that many people wanted. I refer to the executive summary of the mother and baby home report which many in the House at the time called for the independent commission to withdraw because they felt it was offensive.”
“For social care cases like this, is a commission of inquiry the right model and does it delivery any "value"? I use that word very loosely. I am not talking about taxpayer value but about having an outcome that actually changes the individual circumstances of the person concerned, gives him or her a sense of justice, a determination of justice and also makes changes to the system. During the Easter recess, I spent some time trying to consume this report but it was incredibly difficult because of the layout and formatting. Perhaps that is because it is an incredibly complex case. I have listened to Deputy McGuinness speak on this matter at Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meetings over the years I have been a member.”
“Her indication that those submissions were not referred to in the report is deeply worrying for the system of wards of court that we have and also because we knew from the outset that Grace, as somebody who is non-verbal, would not be able to give verbal testimony. When one legal office makes a submission to an independent tribunal, any layperson would assume that cognisance would be given to that. Perhaps more will be said on that in the future. We need to consider this more fully. I have heard mention in the House that this debate should be followed by a discussion at the disability matters committee when it is established. As a future member of that committee, I would welcome that opportunity. There are a number of elements to this.”
“A quasi-judicial or legal approach allows us to produce a report that is publishable and defendable from a legal perspective but from a social care perspective, what many people want to know is what changes need to be made for Grace and for other people in similar situations going forward. The Minister has talked about adult safeguarding legislation and I look forward to the work on that. I was particularly concerned by the statement made by Ms Marie-Claire Butler, the general solicitor for minors and wards of court. While I am no expert in this area, the general solicitor put forward the case that she had made submissions to the commission, not in her own interests but in the interests of Grace and in the public interest.”
“I thank the House for allowing us time to continue the debate on the Farrelly report, which began last week. A number of commissions have reported to this House in my time as a TD. Certainly, a number of them have left the victims or the people at the centre of those reports very dissatisfied with the outcome. We have to ask ourselves a question about the independent commission model. It is important to repeat that the commission is independent of Government. It is essential that we re-examine whether that model of establishing facts, given the cost of it and the outcome for those people at the centre of it, is appropriate and whether we move forward with that model.”
“We need to get to a peaceful solution. We need to stop the starvation of people, including innocent children, on this planet. I welcome the Irish Government’s steps and wish our European colleagues would do more.”
“The Taoiseach referred yesterday to the fact that there is intentional starvation of a people by a government. Ireland is a country that has famine in its very DNA and we remember what famine was about. That such circumstances can be brought about by any government is absolutely despicable. I agree with the Taoiseach’s comment that what is happening is clearly a war crime, not because we say so but because international law states it. I want more than anything to have a two-state solution and a peaceful existence for both Palestinians and Israelis. I want the conflict to come to an end but there is no solution in how the people of Palestine are being treated. I welcome the Irish Government’s step today regarding our grave concern over the total annexation, which, again, is another compounding of a failed policy by Israel in Gaza.”
“Europe has responded very strongly on this. This reminds us that the European Union is, at its very heart, a peace process involving European countries. Therefore, war on the Continent is something we should be incredibly conscious of, and we should make every effort to alleviate its impacts and, where possible, bring about a peaceful conclusion. I am incredibly disappointed that the unity of the EU on Ukraine has not been matched by unity on what is happening in the Middle East. Rather than disappointing, it is shameful that Europe has not acted more collectively on what is happening in Gaza. What happened on 7 October 2023 was despicable. It cannot be repeated enough how unjustified the actions of Hamas were, but the actions that have followed have been incredibly disproportionate.”
“I reject the dark image of Europe mentioned earlier. Consider what Europe has done collectively by agreeing to pool sovereignty. A decision was made by the Irish nation to pool its sovereignty with that of other European countries. We have done amazing things in Europe. We have increased our living standard since after the Second World War, when the entire Continent was lying in poverty and dishevelled. We have introduced incredible social protections right across the Continent and have done amazing things together. We are facing an environmental challenge that faces all of mankind. I am a very proud European. On this day, many of my colleagues speak very positively about Europe. I want to do that today but, unfortunately, we are again marking Europe Day when the aggression of Russia in Ukraine continues.”
“There is a drive here to bring manufacturing back to the European Union which will benefit Irish companies if we equip them correctly.”
“The Minister predicted where I was going with my reply. The sub-supply chain within Ireland is increasingly important. We saw when organisations like IBM, for example, opened first in west Dublin and the huge number of Irish small SMEs which then became sub-suppliers, not because of a lower quality of their product but because of the quality of the product, their proximity to the location and their ability to provide top-class services. As well as SMEs participating at the level of common European projects as direct suppliers, there is also a whole chain of small SMEs that could supply those companies in return. There is a huge ecosystem here in Ireland, particularly on the engineering side, which I have some experience of with regard to materials, metals, plastics and so on. I really believe there is much potential there.”
“Ireland has fantastic companies but we have seen in the past that with additional support from organisations like Enterprise Ireland, they are able to access new markets. Given the scale of some of these projects - and they are vast - this is one area Enterprise Ireland in particular, really needs to focus on. The Minister might bring this back to the organisation concerned.”
“Some of what the Minister outlined is really important. I want to underscore the more micro-level interventions that need to be made. The Minister mentioned Enterprise Ireland. It is a fantastic organisation that is particularly focused on SMEs and Irish businesses which export abroad. These projects of common European interest are known. They are ready-made targets for our industries. I hope, and would have every expectation, that Enterprise Ireland will be taking the information that is publicly available, identifying companies in Ireland likely to participate and providing both training and support for those organisations in order for them to be successful in bidding for contracts.”
“What steps does the Department intend to take regarding participation of SMEs in EU important projects of common European interest, IPCEI? Ireland has some fantastic, world-leading companies, but we also have a vibrant SME sector that often does not have the participation it should have, both in the context of domestic public tendering process and also, in this instance, in projects of common interest. I would appreciate if the Minister would update the House on the matter.”
“In the context of commercial drone deliveries, initial proposals relate to the delivery of food but the application of the technology could be extended to parcel deliveries. The issue came to me because the area is very unregulated. There is a commitment in the programme for Government that AirNav, formerly a section of the Irish Aviation Authority and now a newly established separate body, will examine the issue. Residents in my area are concerned. They have come to me because of one proposed application, but this highlights the absence of regulation in the area. They have reasonable concerns around the hours of work, the safety of drones flying above residential areas and the impacts on the airport and its boundaries. We should not stifle innovation in this area but there should be regulations in place.”
“In particular, I ask that the child poverty unit looks at those areas covered by the north-east inner city roll-out model, for want of a better word, and that the two units work closely together or are brought together.”
“A number of initiatives under the Department of the Taoiseach deal with the issue of child poverty and tackling disadvantage. Enda Kenny established this in the north-east inner city and the Taoiseach rolled that out to other communities, including my own in Ballymun. The former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, established the child poverty unit. As we head into the second part of the programme, there is the possibility to try to bring some of those programmes together and embed them into each of the Departments. While leadership from the Taoiseach's office is really important in a programme like that, we also need sustainability in those programmes.”
“We know that in the programme for Government, the Minister has identified DEIS plus, which is really exciting and would be a real support. While there are all these other supports I have mentioned, such as free school meals, free school books and DEIS plus when it is implemented, when it comes to the day-to-day bread and butter, you cannot butter parsnips if you do not have butter. In this case, we need funding for these schools.”
“Equally, if the school is designed for numbers that are four or five times the size of the current school population, the current capitation grant will never deal with that. I know the FSSU was involved in drafting the reply for today’s Topical Issue. I hope officials will take back the suggestion I have made, namely, that a bespoke solution is needed for these large campuses that have significantly reduced numbers. It is not one school or one location, rather something that is common throughout those housing areas that were built 50, 60 or 70 years ago that have these large campuses. Demographic changes have meant that school numbers have changed. While that is not the responsibility of the schools, they are doing their best to try to live up to the issues.”
“I agree with the Minister of State that the FSSU is an important source of advice. It is the reason two of the schools took part in an analysis of cash flow last summer and again in October. Some recommendations and changes were made. The schools are anxious not to cause concern among parents and the community and wish to engage with the system. The Minister of State will note that I have not named the schools for that reason. There is, however, something else going on. While the capitation grant has increased to €224, if the number of pupils in the school over a short period of time is down 20%, 30% or more, then any sort of cost-of-living or inflationary increase is never going to keep up with that.”
“In many cases, they have already gone for local solutions for cleaning contracts rather than using contract suppliers and so on. It is an issue that affects all schools across north Dublin and many schools on the southside. In big schools with smaller numbers, capitation is not working. We need to come with a bespoke solution.”
“The benefit of Topical Issues is that we can have more of a discussion about it. The Taoiseach recommended that there be a bespoke solution, and that is where the solution should lie. Principals have enough to do without worrying about cash flow. Some schools might have a little more cash flow because of a sale of land or whatever. Some schools will have more cash flow because they are in a more affluent area and are able to do fundraising. DEIS band 1 schools have a lot of challenges on their books. Some of this may be about shared support for schools, like a group communal insurance policy or a better insurance deal. Some of them are coming off three-year energy and gas deals and that is now having an impact because costs are increasing.”
“In places like Tallaght, Finglas and many others, schools were often built for 700, 800, 900 or even 1,000 pupils. Unfortunately, in some cases they are operating at 15% or 20% of that capacity, so there are large campuses, but the capitation is now at a much reduced rate. The Department needs a bespoke tool for those schools. While capitation is an important mode of funding and ensures it follows the pupil, schools still have to fund the overall cost of their campuses. If that is not enough, then there needs to be a bespoke solution or we need to look at the long-term viability of the building. Maybe a new building over time on those campuses would be more desirable. I urge the Minister of State to revert to the Minister of Education. I raised this yesterday with the Taoiseach under questions on promised legislation.”
“It has always been the responsibility of the schools and patrons to manage their own finances and I do not take from that responsibility, but I have had a hands-on opportunity to look at the balance sheet of one of the local schools. In one school, there was €17,000 left in the account for between now and the end of the year. An insurance payment of more than €10,000 was required. There was a payment for gas and electricity and then there was a payment for cleaning staff. There was not enough to pay all of those outstanding bills. The schools in question have been dealing with the FSSU, which is the financial support unit in the Department. In fact, they have been doing it for more than a year. While all schools would welcome increased capitation, there is an issue in schools that may previously have accommodated large numbers.”
“I raise a significant issue, which is the funding of DEIS band 1 schools. Over the past number of years, we have seen significant funding go into education. Obviously, the free schoolbooks scheme and the free school meals scheme have been important for parents and education. In some cases, they have been a significant anti-poverty measure. I remember the first year the free school books scheme was brought in, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul said it noticed a 20% reduction in calls for back to school supports. The operating costs of the school remain the same, though. That is the issue I want to raise. I have been contacted by three different DEIS band 1 schools in our area. They are having difficulty balancing the books in terms of operating costs.”
“We need to examine how we are funding them in addition to the capitation grant, while ensuring that they retain responsibility for managing their own finances. This is a real issue.”
“I want to raise the issue of school funding. Yesterday, the Taoiseach informed the Dáil about the work of the financial support services unit in the Department of Education. Three school principals have been in touch with me who do not want to make a public matter of the issue but who want to get to the bottom of funding issues they are having. I have looked at the books in some of these schools. There are big questions about the funding for insurance, heating and cleaning. All of them are schools that in the sixties and seventies would have had 700 or 800 pupils and are now operating at 15% or 20% of that. There is an issue in the Department with those large schools. I encourage the Minister to try to come up with a bespoke solution bespoke for them. They are located all across north Dublin.”
“What we cannot allow is the tearing down of this House by the Opposition. Twice now, it has tried to prevent the House from taking a vote. That is not the act of any democrat. Our Constitution protects our right to cast a vote here in this Chamber. Our Standing Orders exist to protect the function of the Chamber and the Ceann Comhairle carries the heavy burden of enforcing them. Let the record show that Deputy after Deputy stood, shouted and screamed, not to be heard but to intimidate. It was a co-ordinated attempt to shut down the democratic process. It would not be allowed in any residents’ association or GAA club around the country, and now, as at a drunken stag party, they cry foul because they did not hear the call for last orders. Well, last orders were called. It is time to put these tactics behind us and get on with people's work.”
“It knew full well that there was no other mechanism for the technical group to be recognised, yet it shouted and screamed the slogan, "You can’t be in government and opposition". It was a slogan, not a solution, and it quickly became untrue. The Chair ruled clearly that the group of six Independents do not qualify as opposition under Standing Order 170. The Government accepted that ruling and proposed new arrangements for Government time. We engaged in more than 20 hours of discussion, including full mediation but instead of seriously engaging, the Opposition spent more time on the plinth than around the table.”
“At some point, the truth about the past number of weeks in this House will be written and it will show that from January onwards it became increasingly likely that a number of Independent TDs might support a coalition government. What many of us did not realise was that our own Standing Orders made no provision for such a grouping. In fact, they were entirely silent on the rights of TDs or parties that support the Executive. This should not have been a problem for the Government or the affected Independents alone; it was a challenge for us as an Oireachtas to resolve because in politics you often find yourself on the other side of the argument. However, instead of addressing the problem, the Opposition chose pantomime.”
“Whether it is this issue before the House or the issue I raised around those people prevented from making contributions but are subject to means tests, or the many other areas of the Minister's responsibility, I wish him the very best of luck. If he could come back to me on the issue in writing, I would appreciate it.”
“Those who lived together for five years or more, irrespective of children, will also qualify, and then for contributory pension payments, it will be backdated to 22 January 2024, the date of the Supreme Court decision. Additionally, qualifying cohabitants will have access to the bereaved parents grant and the bereaved partners non-contributory pension. As I said, it is a welcome step. It is the first opportunity I have had to wish the Minister well in his role. As somebody who took over from him as the spokesperson on social protection in Fianna Fáil, I pay tribute to his legacy and the work that he did. Many of the stakeholders who I met spoke very highly of the Minister's interest, and I would say they were particularly pleased with the Minister's appointment because he understands the issues.”
“They were not allowed pay a full contributory pension, and at the other side of their retirement, they do not get any social welfare payment, are not entitled to any of the cost-of-living top-ups and often fall foul of others. In some of those schemes, like the CIÉ pension scheme, for example, we have not had an increase in that scheme for the best part of a decade. With regard to what were previously good social protection measures, we need to continue to do them. As in this case here, the O'Meara case, social protection should never be something that is set in stone. It should be a constantly evolving process. I welcome what the Minister has done. He has brought some certainty for surviving cohabitants who have lived together for two years or more and had children together who qualify for the pension.”
“They were prevented from paying a full A-class stamp. The reality is that for many of those people, the burden falls not on them but on their partners. They are unable to make an A-class contribution and when both the husband and wife retire, regardless of who worked for that period, the partner is subjected to a means-tested payment. Often both of them are excluded from many of the very important cost-saving and cost-of-living measures we put in place because they are not entitled to a contributory pension by virtue of not having enough stamps. It is just another example, and I think that burden falls mostly on women. There is a dwindling but large number of women who contributed to the home over many years, and their partners worked in what were good semi-State and State jobs.”
“The minimal difference between a contributory pension and a non-contributory pension often means many people ask the question, "Why did I pay in if I am not going to be getting much more?" Of course, the difference is that when you pay in, you get a payment by right of paying in as opposed to a means-tested payment and we always have to remember that. I would encourage the Minister, as we progress to reform social protection, that idea of improving the value for money for people who pay into the PRSI system is something we should absolutely examine. On that note, while not touching directly on the issue of the Bill, there are many people who are prevented from paying into the social protection system. They are people who worked in our public services, in local authorities, in places like An Post or Telecom Éireann and so on.”
“Our social welfare system has a long history dating back to when there were very little social protection provisions for people who needed them most. As a former spokesperson for social protection, it is one of the most complex things to understand the multiple schemes that exist. Increasingly, there are those schemes that are pay-related social insurance benefits for having paid into the scheme, and then there are social protection payments which are there by right for those people who are in need. As we continue to look at how we can improve social protection, increasingly we need to look at making pay-related social insurance more value-for-money for those people who pay in.”
“It is interesting dealing with a case that was before the courts and, as a result, has had to come before the Executive and now the Legislature. Some of the difficulty with this week's debates in regard to speaking time is that there is often huge confusion as to the difference between the Executive and the Legislature. They are different things. When you take those two arms of Irish democracy, the courts are that third countercheck. I pay tribute to Mr. O'Meara in taking this course because where the rights could not be vindicated through either the Executive or the Legislature, the courts served their role in this case. The judgment very clearly set out a roadmap for fairness, and I acknowledge the work of the Minister in responding quickly to that as well.”
“The last piece in the puzzle is to put in place a common application process so the parents do not have the difficulty of applying for multiple schools. That is the NCSE’s job. It is not an advisory service. It should be the ones finding places and doing so over the period so that, when people leave primary school, there is a place in line at second level.”
“I raise the issue of special class places and the process for applying for them. For the past six or seven years I have been dealing with parents. Between October and the following June or July many of those parents go through a wasted process of applying to multiple schools. The programme for Government was quite strong in identifying a common application process for special classes. It would make a lot of sense. I have been in contact with the parents of Arlo, Zayn, Thomas, Malcolm, Daniel and Riley. Many parents have come to me. In previous years the list has been far longer. In part this is because nearly a third of the special classes that exist were put in place over the past four years.”
“Nothing should be off the table to encourage both public and private supply. We need both the carrot and stick. We need to keep doing what we have done for the past five years and building homes, and we have done that despite what the Opposition has said. I encourage the Government to double down its policies, that is, not so-called policies for developers, which they are not, but on the policies in Housing for All that are delivering and will deliver numbers in both public and private.”
“The Taoiseach is right to ask what we are going to do about the element of supply that will not be public. The answer cannot be that there will be no private delivery, because the private sector has to have some role. At a meeting of the public accounts committee, representatives of the Department and various agencies said in response to me that we will not be able to build homes inside the M50 without a significant subsidy for sale. That is a shift in the reality of where we are. The cost of building now means a subsidy will be needed to deliver a for-purchase property, so that will involve the State giving subsidies. As for how the State can do that, we can make direct transfers to the local authority, prepare the services and the site, provide it by way of tax changes or make changes to levies and charges we impose.”
“In the case of the Ballymun shopping centre site in my constituency, there is currently no proposal to build housing on the site, which is right in the middle of Ballymun, yet it is an ideal site on which a body such as the Land Development Agency could provide the mixed commercial and residential accommodation that is needed for the people of Ballymun. The reason public housing is so important in my area is that there is almost no private development in Dublin North-West. It is starting to happen but there is almost none, certainly in comparison with other parts of the country, where my colleagues are talking about development happening all over the place. Inside the M50 core, the challenges of delivering and the viability issues are very significant, so we end up with almost no private development.”
“I am a great proponent and supporter of the public housing model and believe public housing should be a big player in the market, but that will become more and more difficult to sell if the people responsible for delivering it are not doing so. I am proud to have many public housing sites in my constituency, which I have listed on the floor of this House many times and will do so again. Oscar Traynor Road is a very significant site and there are also ones in Kildonan, Balcurris and Balbutcher. Many of these sites are being developed by the council but it is taking too long. I would focus on those recommendations in the housing report to support local authorities to deliver, but I would go further. We should ensure local authorities deliver, and I would use both the carrot and the stick in that regard. In some cases, they are too slow.”
“Under a new Government five years ago, though, there was a fundamental shift in policy in terms of the cost rental scheme, the affordable purchase scheme and the State’s ability to use the Land Development Agency to deliver housing. Local authorities have had the power in the past four years, or perhaps a little less, given that the legislation needed to be passed, to develop mixed-income and mixed-tenure estates on sites they own. Where that is complex, the Land Development Agency is able to assist them with that. One area of frustration relates to the speed of delivery by both AHBs and local authorities on some of those sites.”
“There was significant discussion at the previous housing committee and I look forward to discussing it again should I be a member of the new one. The Housing Commission report is welcome. A significant part of it talks about a policy shift. Let us be clear, in that, five years ago, there was no affordable housing scheme and no cost rental scheme. The only option a local authority had if it had a piece of land was to build an estate that was 100% low-income housing. We know from the past that, when one builds concentrated low-income housing, it can present significant challenges. Alternatively, the local authority sold the site off to a developer, who then built for-profit housing.”
“This debate is welcome. As a former member of the housing committee, we have debated the issues in the Housing Commission report and have had lengthy debates on proposals to amend the Constitution. It was clear to me at the committee that, while an amendment to the Constitution would strengthen the State’s ability to regulate and provide more public housing, the idea that it would be simple to pass a housing amendment, particularly given the experience of the referendums last year, is something we would have to give great consideration to. If we put a referendum on the right to housing before the Irish people and it was rejected, we would find ourselves in a very difficult place in terms of housing policy. It is something to flag.”
“Ireland has the chance to lead the world in how we use renewable energy to tackle energy poverty. We have a chance to set an example to show that a fairer, more sustainable energy future is possible but we must act. Energy waste is increasing year on year and every day that passes without a strategy is a day when families struggle while clean energy is being thrown away. We cannot allow this to continue. I urge all Members of the House, across all parties and none, to support the Bill. Let us turn surplus into support, waste into warmth and policy into progress.”
“The Bill does not demand expensive new infrastructure. The technology and the models already exist. In fact, initiatives are under way right now in Ireland, such as EnergyCloud, which demonstrate the feasibility of using surplus wind energy to heat water for families in need. This project, led by forward-thinking organisations, has already provided free hot water tanks on more than 100 nights in the past year to struggling families. Imagine what we could achieve with a national strategy with the full backing of the Government. This Bill does not increase costs for businesses or consumers. It does not interfere with the market or add to the burden of the taxpayer. Instead, it simply ensures that we use what we are already generating, but is currently going to waste, to improve lives. Let us recognise the opportunity here.”
“This is more than one million people - children, pensioners and working families, who are forced to choose between heating their homes and their essential needs. This Bill is simple. It offers a transformative solution to put surplus energy to use. It mandates the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to develop and publish strategy within six months, a plan with clear, timebound targets for redirecting surplus energy to those who are most in need. By 2026, at least 20% of this energy should be used to alleviate energy poverty and that percentage should increase to 50% by 2030. This approach will ensure that our renewable energy sector will continue to grow. Its real benefits will be felt in boardrooms and Government reports, but also in the homes of the families who need it.”