Paul Nicholas Gogarty
Dublin Mid-West · Independent · Ireland
“As I have mentioned in the House before, if a border poll passes by 52% to 48%, the legal threshold of the Good Friday Agreement is met but the social consensus is not and moving 800,000 citizens into a new state against their explicit, democratic will does risk causing civil unrest.”
“We also have other gaps that are much smaller, like a ten-year phased transition, reducing the net annual cost to between €2.5 billion and €3 billion. We then had the middle figure of about €11 billion. We actually do not know how much it is going to cost but we do know it is going to cost something.”
“For example, adopting a single currency, getting rid of the exchange rate volatility and the transaction costs for cross-Border businesses are all advantages.”
“I would be loath to call a border poll right now because of the risks associated with that, but if a border poll did occur, the State would have to be prepared for the huge structural disruptions that would follow, so we have to start working now - that is why this debate is welcome - without arrogantly presuming it is going to become a r…”
“I have been listening to this debate in my office since Deputy Currie started her contribution. I always follow these debates on Irish unity with interest as someone who wants to see a united Ireland by consent.”
“Some have been mentioned in this House, such as a devolved regional assembly in Stormont to preserve local governance for the unionist community, a shared bill of rights protecting the dual Irish-British citizenship, and re-evaluating our relationship with the Commonwealth.”
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“I am also looking for ASBOs to be sanctioned without requiring gardaí to turn up in court; for the immediate seizure of high-value items such as scooters, quads and scramblers where they are involved in antisocial behaviour; and the temporary removal of personal items such as PlayStations, Xboxes and smartphones from those reported to consistently engage in antisocial behaviour, that is, if it is feasible and I want responses in that regard. It may have to be a voluntary measure whereby the parents have to agree to give up these items. I know a commitment can be gained from parents that comes before the antisocial behaviour order, but that process takes too long so if parents are not playing ball, we should consider other sanctions such as fines where appropriate. We should have meaningful restorative justice to pay back damages.”
“This has also recently been reflected by RGDATA, which is calling for night courts for shoplifting. There was a situation in my constituency where people came in, stole bottles, came back in and threw the bottles over the staff. Another guy came in doing the whole shoulder exercise and walked out with a load of stuff from another convenience store. Retailers are fearful for their staff. They have absolute fear they will either end up being sued for defamation or else will have to let people walk out and take stuff willy-nilly, and that puts costs on consumers everywhere in the country. I am looking for the following measures to further reform defamation and to allow for detention where it can be shown on camera that people are involved in shoplifting. Maybe we should also have on-the-spot fines for shoplifting.”
“Equally, we have to ensure vigilante gangs are not beating up kids, because there are hangers-on. That is what the motion is about, the hangers-on. It is not about the ringleaders, because the ringleaders will go through the system, but the hangers-on need deterrents. I have proposed a number of things and I ask for support from the Opposition on them, as well as for suggestions from the Opposition and backbenchers for what we can do to try to deal with the root causes of antisocial behaviour. I am not saying there are not problems on that side but there are also no consequences or short, sharp shocks for people who are doing stuff right now. I have thrown out a couple of suggestions that have been called for by other groups. For example, in 2010, there was a call for community courts.”
“A mentor of a local football club, who was with his seven-year-old daughter, did not let a bunch of lads into a locker and was told that they knew where his car was, that they would find out where he lives and that he would be strung up higher than Jesus on the cross. That sort of intimidation is not acceptable. I tabled a parliamentary question asking what case studies or case law shows what reasonable self-defence is when someone is being attacked. The question was ruled out of order, which leads me to suggest it very much depends on the case in question. People are quite afraid. For example, if people are coming at you with sticks, are you allowed to grab the stick out of their hands? Are you allowed to hit them to stop them hitting you? These are situations in which people want to know how they can defend themselves.”
“In my area, there are only four or five groups but they are committing regular instances of antisocial behaviour, sometimes with impunity, so they are becoming more emboldened over a period of time. It is happening everywhere, in Clondalkin, Newcastle, Saggart, Rathcoole, Lucan, Palmerstown - you name it, there are incidents there. Sometimes, as was mentioned in the previous debate, if these perpetrators come across a newcomer to Ireland, then the racial tropes are thrown in as well. A lot of people do not know how they are supposed to react when a gang of youths are coming at them throwing sticks or stones.”
“I will bring the Minister's attention to some of the instances that are happening in my area and that I know are happening across the country, including in his constituency. For example, a 13-year-old boy was subject to a random attack and his eye socket was damaged. A pregnant lady was walking in one of the local parks and someone on a scooter circled her several times and brushed off her. In the same park, there are regularly gangs of youths hanging around in the playground, smoking and intimidating other people, again with no Garda or park ranger response because there are not enough park rangers or available gardaí. Another playground, which, as a councillor, I pushed for three years to be refurbished, was set on fire the week before last. Again, that was done by a couple of people.”
“Gardaí were called but did not have a car available. They said their car was at the courts at the time. That is not an isolated case. I am not one for Garda-bashing, because I know the Garda is under-resourced. Members of the force do an absolutely fantastic job, given the constraints they face. We need to increase Garda numbers, which is partially mentioned in this motion, but we also need to make their work more effective. The Minister himself has said we need to take gardaí away from the courts. At the moment, senior gardaí have to attend court if they want to apply for an ASBO, while other gardaí have to turn up at courts very regularly, which takes away from Garda time on the ground. In the context of this debate, I would like to see a commitment to a timescale for meaningful action in that regard.”
“However, as far as I know, that task force has not sat since before the election. We are still awaiting on youth justice strategy interim report. There have been efforts to increase the number of gardaí. There has been a significant increase between 2008 and now. When I work it out, we have almost 20% fewer gardaí per head of population than we did in 2008, before the downturn led to a loss of numbers. Just at the end of the Celtic tiger era, we had a lot more gardaí per head of population. People are giving out that when they do ring for gardaí, they cannot get a response. Last week, at a school in my constituency, a bunch of youths, some of whom were of primary school age, broke into a school and started stealing bikes. They were told by the staff to leave. They did not and instead started to throw stones at the staff.”
“As an Independent Opposition TD, I get to table Private Members' business twice per year, if that. My first Private Members’ business motion during this term is devoted to the issue of antisocial behaviour because so many people in my constituency have expressed a sense of fear and powerlessness about what is happening, especially when the culprits are under the age of 18. I raised this matter with the Taoiseach before the summer for a lesser time period. I did get some sympathetic responses, but collectively we need to have a sense of urgency to deal with the situation. I am not one just to play petty politics and cast aspersions. I will give credit where credit is due. We have a task force on antisocial behaviour. The previous Government published the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027.”
“a "mini-Criminal Assets Bureau"; — fines for parents where appropriate, or similar, proportionate measures that encourage co-operation and act as a deterrent; — enhance the ability of shops to search and detain shoplifters pending the arrival of the Gardaí; — meaningful restorative justice to pay back any damages; — community service such as clean-ups with Garda vetted bodies such as Tidy Towns Groups or other organisations as may be appropriate; — increased Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) investment programme for playgrounds and high-value, high-amenity areas targeted regularly by anti-social behaviour; — a clearer legal definition of what constitutes reasonable self-defence when being threatened, or assaulted by underage perpetrators, including having items such as sticks, rocks, glass and other implements being thrown at individuals; — zero tolerance for littering and increased fines as part of a wider social contract; — further consideration for a ban on social media for under 16s as raised by Deputy Gogarty several months ago; — better school attendance monitoring; — a penalty points system for stronger action with repeat offenders; — enrolment in education programmes where abuse is found to be motivated by the race, gender, sexual orientation or religious/cultural background; — a faster, ticket-based reporting system for victims of anti-social behaviour to log and view progress on incidents, including an easier way to upload video and photo evidence to An Garda Síochána; — a streamlined process for making statements and statutory declarations that frees up Garda time; — additional educational and youth diversion resourcing; — stronger focus on community policing to identify and deter potential anti-social behaviour; — orders prohibiting anti-social groups from contacting one another for fixed periods; and — recognition for positive social behaviour through a credits-based pathway system for valued community service or learning outcomes.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: — recognises that anti-social behaviour continues to be a major problem in Ireland for people of all ages; — noting that the factors leading to this behaviour are multi-faceted and that some work has been done to date to identify and resource solutions; — accepting that Garda numbers per head of population remain far short of optimal levels; — acknowledges that many people feel a sense of powerlessness to deal with this persistent problem, especially when those involved are aged under 18 years of age and can commit multiple offences before being dealt with by the current system; — undertakes to provide additional resources to tackle the root causes of underage anti-social behaviour, with an additional strong emphasis on immediate consequences for actions; and — commits to providing a full list of implementable legislative and resourcing reforms to lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas within six months of this motion being passed, based on contributions made during this debate, best practice in Ireland and internationally, and specifically assessing the following measures: — the introduction of curfews for repeat offenders; — community courts for rapid adjudication on anti-social behaviour offences, including the sanctioning of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs); — ASBOs to be sanctioned without requiring Gardaí to turn up in court; — immediate seizure on a permanent basis of high-value items such as scooters, quads, scramblers involved in anti-social activities or breaking the law; — temporary removal of personal items such as Playstations, Xboxes, smartphones, for consistent reported anti-social behaviour; — seizure of any items suspected to be obtained as a result of theft, i.e.”
“In the case of a successful appeal by the individuals concerned, that revenue would go to them. As we have seen, however, it is more likely that it would go into CAB's coffers for distribution to good causes. If there is any legal mechanism to facilitate this, I would welcome it. I reiterate what some colleagues said about the idea of establishing a mini-CAB to go after some of the smaller individuals and raise funds. We should be able to seize things like scooters that are used for antisocial purposes. This is not directly related, but it should be looked at too.”
“Perhaps the Minister can clarify the position in this regard when replying but I am of the view that where properties are seized by CAB, the Government and the agency should look at putting these assets into use as quickly as possible. The immediate and automatic appointment of a receiver would provide some leeway in this regard. I envisage a situation, for example, whereby a four-bedroom house, after a two-year period and following any appeals, could be transferred immediately to a family on a local authority housing list or to an approved housing body. Before that, however, someone who is near or at the top of the housing list and who is in receipt of the housing assistance payment could be allowed live at the property while the final adjudication is being made, with any rental income going to the receiver.”
“Like previous speakers, I support the strengthening of the community safety fund. A sum of €4 million will be available through the fund this year - the amount involved is increasing - but there definitely is scope, given the overall CAB budget, to massively increase the community element. The money involved should be ring-fenced to ensure it services those communities that most need it, namely those that are often decimated by drugs and drug dealing and related intimidation. These communities are identified as being in need by the Pobal HP deprivation index. Any moneys raised should also go towards local youth diversion projects and meaningful community projects.”
“I welcome the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill, which, as the Minister said, represents a major upgrade of existing legislation. I welcome the fact it will reduce from seven years to two the time between a judicial determination of an asset being the proceeds of crime and a final disposal order being available. I especially welcome the immediate and automatic appointment of a receiver in respect of assets to ensure that respondents cannot continue to benefit pending final disposal orders being made. This will happen subject to the normal caveats against a risk of injustice. I will continue in that vein in a few moments when commenting on the role of the receiver. First, however, I welcome how the Bill strengthens CAB's investigative powers, including in the context of the freezing of bank accounts.”
“In the context of the opportunity provided by this PNR debate, is there any way PNR data can be used when people arrive without a passport to get information that might have been provided to the carriers or is there a separate mechanism whereby the carriers can be requested to provide it? Given the large numbers who have come here claiming asylum, some of whom are genuine, while others are not, is there a way of getting that information so that we can process claims faster?”
“Surely, if it is possible to get this information, either through PNR data or by means of a mechanism requiring the likes of Ryanair and Aer Lingus to provide a simple scan of a passport, we could then say to such persons that they may have arrived without a passport but we have a picture that looks a lot like them and a document that says they are coming from a certain jurisdiction or country. That would help in identifying the individual. While the person could say the passport is forged and they got it from X, Y or Z, at the same time it provides more pertinent information than we had previously.”
“I would like to know whether we have the right, or the means in legislation to get the right, to ask companies like Ryanair to take routine scans of passports as people are going through and retain that information for up to 60 minutes after a plane lands. I know the Minister mentioned that there are sometimes checks at the point of disembarking but some people come without a passport, claim asylum and say they are from a particular state or are fleeing persecution in a particular country. There is no way of verifying that and the process drags on with appeals, etc.”
“However, I want to go back to the starting point. As we know, someone can arrive in Ireland without a passport under United Nations rules, claim they are fleeing persecution and it can take a long time to go through the asylum process. I commended the Minister before on his statement to the effect that we can try to get through the whole process much quicker than previously. If the Minister is able to comment on this, I ask him to please do so. My understanding is that Ireland is not always happy with some of our EU partners in terms of the information they pass on when people travel through European Union member states and then arrive here with no passport and claim asylum.”
“It makes sense in terms of trying to figure out where suspected criminals and terrorists are coming and going, if they are going to drug havens, etc. That is all well and good, and I could see why would opt in to have that. I will start at the end first and support what Deputy Carthy said regarding people with deportation orders. Presumably, the standard PNR data should be able to be used because it talks about certain types of circumstances and certain situations where privacy is being protected. In a situation where someone has been told they have to vacate the country and do not have leave to remain in Ireland, surely it is in our national interest to find out whether the people are still in the State or whether they have tried to leave the country or travelled onwards through other countries to the final destination.”
“I thank the Minister for his contribution. In some ways, this is necessary legislation. In other ways, it is a bit like watching paint dry, especially when talking about going through the motions. I am not sure whether I will be here when we get around to the motions on Switzerland in a while. I wanted to discuss the wider issues of all this booking information that is provided by passengers and collected and held in reservation systems. We know the content of the PNR data varies depending on the information given during the booking and check-in process, but it would include passenger names at all stages. Whether or not the travel itinerary of the passenger is included in the PNR data is another story.”
“As others have stated, Pride is not just a celebration of identity; it is an ongoing and relentless protest for equality and acceptance. We must learn from the past, celebrate what has been achieved and never go back to where we were before, either here in Ireland, in Europe or especially in those many parts of the world where basic human rights are still denied to so many members of the LGBTQI+ community.”
“As a democrat, I believe it is possible for various policy issues to be debated without actively or otherwise encouraging hatred towards people because of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic origin, descent, disability, gender, sex characteristics or sexual orientation. It is not a either-or situation, but with freedom comes responsibility. The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 was one step in protecting our citizens dealing with crimes motivated by hatred. We now need a clear definition of what constitutes hate speech. We must ensure marginalised groups are not targeted in word or deed just for being themselves and that hateful misinformation and disinformation are not allowed to be spread without consequences.”
“I wholeheartedly support the Government's LGBTQI+ inclusion strategy, which, as the Minister stated, covers the four pillars of safety, health and well-being, participation and inclusion and equality and non-discrimination. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler poignantly added, there is also the pillar of compassion and dignity. I support inclusion and diversity. I support an Ireland where everyone is safe to be who they want to be, as long as they do not hurt anyone else in the process. I also support freedom of speech and expression, even if I disagree with what someone else is saying.”
“The crackdown on Pride is part of an effort to curb democratic freedoms ahead of what will be one of the tighter elections in Hungary's recent history. The people, supported by Budapest's mayor, came in dignified unity as he urged them "calmly and boldly to stand together for freedom, dignity and equal rights". There was a record attendance for any such march, with four or five times the expected 40,000 attendees. Deputy O'Gorman mentioned a figure of 200,000, which I do not query. Of course, the protest segued into a mass demonstration against the Government but it showed the LGBTQI+ community in Hungary has many allies, as, indeed, does the community in Ireland. However, everyone will need to be vigilant in the face of a more blatant and fearless attempt to denigrate and dehumanise the community.”
“Countries such as Hungary must be called out, as colleagues have done, for the Orbán Administration's political attempts to reverse fundamental human rights and freedom of expression for nothing more than populist political gain. Rights are also under threat in other countries. There is slight positive progress in countries such as Poland, where officials recently abolished what was described as the country's last remaining LGBT ideology-free zone. However, the freedoms restored following the most recent Polish election could equally be diminished in due course. In that context, it was great to see tens of thousands of people defy Hungary's ban and take part in a Pride match in protest against Orbán and his collective. I congratulate the Irish elected representatives who were there on the day showing solidarity.”
“More than one in five LGBTIQ pupils, to again use the survey term, now say their school positively addresses issues raised. As other speakers noted, mental health continues to be a major issue, with more than one three European respondents having contemplated suicide. More than half of trans, non-binary and gender diverse people say they have suicidal thoughts. One in four said they were forced to go through some form of conversion therapy practice to change their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. That might be much higher in certain countries. Only one in four of those surveyed considered that their government was combating prejudice and intolerance against LGBTIQ people, compared with one in three in 2019. The survey reflects various experiences across Europe.”
“Such discrimination is not often reported in Ireland and, in Europe as a whole, only one in ten people report instances of it. One in ten survey respondents said they experienced violence in the five previous years. This is up on the 2019 figure and seems to show there is some sort of societal acceptance of this type of violence. More than one in three intersex people were attacked, which is shocking. One in two respondents reported being a victim at some stage of hate-motivated harassment, up from one in three in 2019. Two in three intersex and trans people were harassed. More than two in three people, across all generations and in all EU countries, said they were bullied in school. This is a steep increase on the one in two figure in 2019. Schools are now more progressive and are addressing LGBT issues more often than previously.”
“At the same time, bullying, harassment and violence have reached high levels, even in countries that like to pat themselves on the back for how progressive they apparently have been. In this context, there are several key findings in the survey worth noting. The first relates to openness. One in two LGBTQI+ people within the European Union are now open about their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics. Unfortunately, however, most would still avoid holding hands with a same-sex partner in public for fear of being attacked. That is a sad indictment of how things are, including here in Ireland where many people feel similarly. One in three people still face discrimination in their daily life because of who they are, which is a slight decrease from 2019.”
“The evidence of that is sometimes recorded in the official statistics, sometimes hidden within other Garda statistics and, many times, unfortunately, it is not reported at all. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights has done three surveys, conducted every five years, on the LGBT community in the EU. The findings make for interesting reading. The latest information, from last year, shows that while discrimination against what the agency describes as LGBTIQ people remains high, it is gradually declining in most European countries. Schools are dealing with LGBTIQ issues more positively and proactively and, in general, young people feel more supported by their teachers and peers. There is progress in most, but not all, countries.”
“Two years ago, Ireland celebrated the 30th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality. We saw further incremental progress after that through the civil partnership process, which was a stepping stone to full marriage equality following the passing of the thirty-fourth amendment to the Constitution of Ireland. This year, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the legislation implementing that amendment. What was once defined by others in society as shameful has become a growing and vibrant source of pride for members of the LGBTQI+ community. As others have said, however, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. In Ireland, as in other parts of Europe, basic freedoms are under threat and hatred is on the rise.”
“It was a bargain from their perspective but it was a slap in the face for the survivors. We still have not seen the framework for what will happen here with regard to compensation and just redress, but we need to proceed as quickly as possible now that the scoping inquiry has been completed. All I am asking is that all schools are included, all stories are told and that there is full transparency and full compensation. Nothing less will suffice.”
“We know that throughout the history of the State, the State itself, its agencies, many ordinary people, judges, gardaí and those involved in social work facilitated decades of abuse in our society, largely, but of course not exclusively, perpetrated by those in religious orders. I know the Minister was not here back in the day. It was a former Minister, Mary Hanafin. Why has it taken so long to get to this point? We will face more harrowing debates about the torture and abuse in day and boarding schools. Even though there were efforts to minimise the extent of the abuse and real efforts by religious institutions to reduce the responsibility, we have done nothing to act in respect of that. Back in the day, I described the €12.7 million indemnity agreement with the religious orders as shameful.”
“During my first term as a TD, we had many debates on what became the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002, the Committee and Report Stages of which were debated in 2005. That legislation was passed specifically to deal with the residents of institutions, not those attending day schools, but in 2005, I tabled an amendment to include former pupils of day schools who were the victims of abuse. This was not allowed and the matter was not followed up on. Here we are 20 years later. It is a shocking, embarrassing and sad indictment of successive Governments that they let this run on for so long.”
“Like others, I welcome the establishment of the commission of investigation into historical sexual abuse in all-day and boarding schools. I do in all sincerity regret that it has taken so long to move into this area and ensure that all survivors who are still alive receive acknowledgement and, hopefully, some justice. I express my personal sympathies to the survivors and all the families involved. The scoping inquiry was told, as others have mentioned, of 2,395 allegations of historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders, involving 884 alleged abusers in 308 schools across all parts of the country between 1927 and 2013. The historical context has been outlined time and again, but we are very slow learners, if people will pardon the pun, when it comes to dealing with these matters.”
“In South Dublin County Council, I was not allowed to use the term "butt-tosser". They thought it was a little improper. I was asked whether I could use "cigarette butt disposal" instead when tabling a motion on the clár. When I raise the issue of fines, it is parked and passed over to the local authorities. However, the buck stops with the Government.”
“Recent studies have shown that Dublin is again a dirty city and Cork as well, for that matter. They have not improved. If anything, they have become worse. We have had less visible plastic. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a guy throw a bottle out of the car. He would only have got 15 cent for it, but could not do anything about it, so it ended up in the ditch. We have a situation where half of all visible litter is cigarette butts. People stamp it on the ground thinking that it is plastic or will biodegrade. I even saw a council worker with a handcart do the same thing. I saw a person at an EV charger do it. Presumably, he bought an EV because he thought he was being eco-friendly, but then he put his butt on the ground. People throw butts beside bins. In Australia, they have robust campaign called "Don't be a Tosser".”
“We will now move on to questions and answers. The Taoiseach or another Minister or Minister of State will take questions and answers for a period not exceeding 20 minutes and the following arrangements will apply. There is no set time for a question or an answer but it is normal for the Chair to ask Members to be concise given the short time period available. Opposition parties and groups will be called in the following order to put a question: Sinn Féin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, Independent and Parties Technical Group, Independent Technical Group and Other Members. Owing to the short time available, it is usual to allow all Opposition parties and groups to ask at least one question before going back to any party or group for a second question. I now call on the Minister of State.”
“Given that Denmark is a small country that was occupied by the Nazis in the Second World War, one would think it would be to the forefront on this issue. However, going by its history, with Denmark helping Danish Jews to flee the Nazis, it has had a kind of friendship with the Israeli state. I would like to have a friendship with the Israeli state if it was not murdering people. The Danes see the Israelis as their friends. The Israelis see Danes as having played a key role. Obviously, I condemn the fact that Ireland was not really to the forefront in assisting Jewish refugees. We had a very piecemeal approach during the Second World War and we should be condemned for that. However, we can see where the Danes are coming from; they are reluctant to fully condemn the Israelis. Therefore, we have to do it.”
“It deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation. The European Council calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance... The European Council recalls the imperative of ensuring the protection of all civilians... It deplores the refusal of Hamas to hand over the remaining hostages. It is all motherhood and apple pie, except it is not about apple pie, but about actual people. As others have said, the European Union has been morally bankrupt on this issue for a long time. Therefore, it behoves countries like Ireland to show moral leadership. At the European affairs committee last week we had a presentation from the Danish ambassador.”
“Aside from the condemnation of the bombing of Iran and trying to ensure that Iran does not get its hands on nuclear weapons, it has been very lax in dealing with the regime itself which has been responsible for record numbers of executions since its inception and continues to harass and murder its own population. While I would condemn any US or Israeli bombing of the Iranian population, I hold no love for the Iranian regime, which funds Hezbollah and Hamas and also helps the Russians to bomb Ukraine. The key issue for Ireland, as a colonially oppressed nation, is the ongoing sympathy we have for the suffering and the genocide taking place in Gaza and our opposition to the continued Israeli settler incursions in the West Bank. The European Council's conclusions state: The European Council calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza...”
“It is good to have the opportunity to speak about the European Council meeting that took place at the end of June. Even in the past couple of weeks, things have moved on and changed. The next meeting is not until October. I acknowledge that it is a difficult job for the Government, as a member of a very large bloc and a small country, to try to get our views across. There were 12 key headings, including any other business, and more than 50 individual topics for discussion, not all of which related to us because they concerned EU security issues where we have an opt-out under our neutrality. I will comment on the major issues. There was fairly unanimous agreement among European Union member states on Ukraine. Its position on Iran is a little watered down. We did not see too much on that.”
“I want to ask a question that others have raised on the issue of Garda vetting. As we know, a teacher doing a summer project, such as mentoring in a GAA club, needs separate vetting. This is quite farcical and the process could be streamlined to be a lot quicker, but every time we raised it were told the Garda vetting review group was the group that was going to report on this. The former Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, said in April 2021 that it would take approximately six months. In March, the current Minister for justice said the report was due soon. Has the Taoiseach any information on when the Garda vetting review group will report and whether we will be able to discuss and debate this in September? It is a pressing issue for many.”
“Some of us will remember the TV series "Rip Off Republic" in the noughties, which could be added to that. Consumer experts regularly appear on radio shows and podcasts, not to mention regular columns in newspapers, like Conor Pope's "Pricewatch". We do not just need to have the CCPC looking at stuff; we also need to give that information in a credible way to people. Why does the Government not fund the CCPC to do a regular price watch podcast or video blog and employ someone as a good-value independent influencer to give that information? That is something the Government could do.”
“Profit controls should be looked at where necessary and enforceable, and we need better standardised unit pricing in order that the unit pricing can be applied across all supermarkets. At the moment, as a shopper, as others have said, it is quite confusing when trying to compare the weight and the volume. Retailers do not make it easy. We need enhanced powers for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The CCPC should be empowered to actively monitor and investigate pricing practices in the grocery sector. This includes the ability to analyse market data and profit margins and intervene when unfair or excessive pricing is identified. The Competition and Consumer Protection (Unfair Prices) Bill, which has reached Second Stage, would be a good place to start as an existing framework that could be built on.”
“As others have said, people are suffering from massive price inflation across a range of areas, including in supermarkets, the subject of this debate. The causes are varied, including wars, energy price hikes, supply shortages, Brexit and so on, but the suspicion remains that the supermarket chains are making excessive profits. As Ireland is the second most expensive country in Europe, scrutiny is required. Even when margins are found to be tight, families need to be given the tools to find the best value in a given week. Measures can be taken. Large retailers could be required to publish their profit margins for specific products or product categories, especially those in areas of high inflation. Information, as others have said, is needed all the way up the supply chain.”
“It can cost overall maybe €60,000 for education and a lot of that is borne by the State and the taxpayer over a period. Perhaps there are some ways that contribution has to be paid back at some stage. At the moment I would see that as general taxation. Too many budgets in the past have opted to cut taxes. People say they would rather see investment in services and in our people, rather than cutting taxes, although I acknowledge that people also say we pay too much tax. It cannot be either-or. Looking at the students in particular, travel costs, rent and accommodation costs if they can actually get it, and the general cost of living and the pressure on their parents, and them having to work, all adds up to the cost of living being too high. It is premature to make any reduction right now.”
“Ba mhaith liom seans cúpla focal a rá anocht. I was in the Green Party back in 2009 when everything was cut to shreds. Back then I fought a little bit of a rearguard battle with some of my colleagues to get education cuts reversed and to stop registration fees being increased. That was when stuff was quite expensive. The cost of living rose post Covid and the registration fees were reduced by approximately €1,000. The question we have to discuss tonight is if we are going to leave it until the budget as per this Government statement, or if we are going to talk about it now. I thank my colleagues for allowing this debate because it is important to talk about it now. The cost of living is still high. Students are still faced with so many pressures. We see the impact on mental health because of that.”
“In Adamstown, Kilcarbery and Clonburris, they are fighting each other over car parking spaces. That needs to be put into any plans.”
“I recently mentioned this at a committee. We are attracting companies that invariably want to operate in Dublin. I know the policy is to try and shift them to the regions. One of the IT companies was quoted on the IDA website saying not to worry if they cannot find enough software developers here, there are people all over the EU wanting to come to Ireland. The problem is, when they all come to Ireland into Dublin, they are pushing up house prices. They are the only ones who can afford the housing. Therefore, our nurses, teachers and gardaí keep getting screwed by the affordable housing scheme parameters and keep having to reapply. We need to have a more spread-out regional development process. We also have to make sure there is adequate car parking.”