Réada Cronin
Kildare North · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“A united Ireland will change that and unlock an all-island economy that would work for everyone who lives on this island. Every Irish county would finally have a government whose only priority is Ireland.”
“Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht seo inniu. Many myths exist about a united Ireland. I believe the biggest one is the alleged cost it will be to the Twenty-six Counties.”
“I always wonder why this was even cited as an issue because it is exactly what already happens to pension recipients in Spain, France, Ireland and wherever a retired British worker resides. The truth is that even if the economic case was more challenging than it is, Irish unity would still be the right thing to do.”
“It has already been made clear that a reunited Ireland would see the North automatically return to EU membership, creating enormous opportunities for growth across the entire island.”
“In doing the right thing, we also create a stronger economy and a better future for generations to come. Then it is not simply good economics, it is the fulfilment of our national potential. When I came across to the Chamber today I walked through the hall and I looked at the Proclamation again.”
“Molaim mo chomrádaí, an Teachta Aengus Ó Snodaigh, as an rún seo. An Teachta Ó Snodaigh has done Trojan work for the arts community for many years, and I am sure we have plenty more years to look forward to. Ireland is well-known around the globe for its music, arts and literature.”
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“It will go down in the history books - history books our grandchildren will read - as a Government that chose cowardice over courage, a Government that mastered the word salad of sympathy while refusing to take the action real sympathy would demand. The Minister gave us another helping of the word salad today. It is spineless. The Government cannot stand up to its colleagues in Europe and speak up for what is right. It has failed the Palestinian people, and the Irish people because the Irish people do not like this. I take absolutely no pleasure in telling the Minister that.”
“Deputy Brady's Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill has still not been enacted. Today we have People Before Profit's Sanctions against the State of Israel Bill 2025. These are not just symbolic actions, they are Bills with real teeth. The Irish public overwhelmingly supports sanctions on Israel and meaningful action in solidarity with Palestine, yet the Government continues to stall, delay and hide behind pathetic excuses. I do not care if there is an issue with the Bill. I really do not care if we end up upsetting trading partners. I really do not care about the Government's pathetic excuses. This is the Government's legacy. It will forever be known as the Irish Government that sat on its hands during an on-screen genocide.”
“It would impose a series of comprehensive and lawful sanctions on Israel for its continued flagrant violations of international law. International law is clear. It places clear obligations on third states not to aid, assist or maintain economic relations that sustain serious violations of international law, including genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation. Ireland and other states have legal and moral obligations to act. When will we finally stand up and meaningfully punish this sort of behaviour? The Opposition has repeatedly put forward measures of real substance. Every week we see on our email of Dáil business for the following week that Sinn Féin and the Opposition are opposed to the absence of the occupied territories Bill. It still has not been enacted.”
“Our silence tells them that international law is optional for them, that no consequences will come from their actions, that they can bomb refugee camps, starve civilians, flatten hospitals and schools and still maintain normal diplomatic and economic relationships with Europe. When there are no consequences for their war crimes in Gaza, why would they fear consequences for bombing Iran or invading Lebanon, levelling villages in south Lebanon to resemble Gaza, or attacking UN peacekeepers, including our own? The passing of this Bill would be a strong stance for Ireland to take on the international stage to tell the world Ireland will not be complicit. It would be a demonstration to other nations that individual countries in the EU can and must stand with the people of Palestine.”
“I had a Palestinian family with me who said they felt some kind of healing, and after they had escaped the war in Gaza, I felt it was not my place to take any of that healing away from them. What has the Government done since then? Recognition without action is meaningless. While Israel has continued to do what it pleases, acting with complete impunity in Gaza, Ireland, along with the rest of the international community, has stood by and allowed it to continue. It is precisely that silence that has emboldened the Israelis. Our silence has consequences. Silence lets them know they can get away with their most evil deeds.”
“The so-called peace deal ultimately has become political cover for the State of Israel as it continues with its genocidal campaign in Gaza and the West Bank. According to ACLED, which tracks Israeli attacks in Gaza, Israel has escalated its attacks in Gaza since it stopped its bombing campaign in Iran. A total of 120 people have been killed since 8 April, 13 of whom were children. Still the international community responds with statements, hand wringing or silence. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael love to tell us all about what they are doing for the people of Palestine and how deeply they care. Certainly, the recognition of Palestine two years ago was welcome. It was overdue, but it was welcome. However, it came far too late.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Boyd Barrett as ucht an Bhille seo a chur os comhair na Dála. We are here on the 78th anniversary of the Nakba. I have just come from the audiovisual room where I met Lubnah Shomali, who reminded those on the left in these Houses that our demands are far too moderate and that we should be looking for the world. In May 2024, Ireland finally formally recognised the State of Palestine. Then Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, said then that a two-state solution was the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security. The Minister said the same earlier in her lovely flowery speech, but the killing and maiming of innocent Palestinians has not stopped since then. Men, women and children are still being murdered and families are still being wiped out.”
“That one data centre consumes enough energy to power 200,000 homes per year, yet they are not paying their fair share when it comes to electricity bills. The Government gives them a sweetheart deal while it shafts ordinary families and workers with the highest prices in Europe. These sky-high prices are not inevitable, as the Government continues to suggest. They are a political choice. The choice we have given the Minister tonight is a simple question: whose side is he on?”
“The Bill before us tonight could drastically reduce the cost of electricity bills for people now and into the future. It would empower the CRU to monitor the hedging practices of these companies and sanction anti-competitive behaviour if energy companies are profiteering from a crisis. This is something the Government could do immediately. This would provide the regulator with real teeth to enforce laws that would protect households. The regulator wants these teeth but it seems the Government would rather protect data centres than households. This was most obvious in Castlebaggot in west Dublin last year when a data centre was given a connection priority over an ESB Networks substation that was meant to be connected to new houses. It is first come, first served, but we all know who Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael serve.”
“The rip-off legacy of this Government continues unabated. Last week, Eurostat reported what we already knew, namely, that Ireland has the highest electricity prices in the European Union. This is under the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, sponsored by the Independents. In Ireland, we are paying nearly €500 more per year than our fellow European citizens. At the same time, many of my constituents in north Kildare face constant blackouts from a grid that is simply not fit for purpose. Ordinary workers and families are being fleeced by energy companies making eye-watering profits. What is the Government doing to address the issue? Absolutely nothing. What should we expect it to do? Its reputation as a do-nothing Government precedes it. On the other hand, Sinn Féin has offered solutions but the Government has refused to listen.”
“I am sure the Minister of State was pleased to note the Amárach Research poll yesterday showing the growing majority, North and South, in favour of a united Ireland within the European Union. Now is the time for this Government to get on with that preparation. Now is the time for this conversation. The demand for unity is growing stronger and louder every day and it is beyond time for the political leadership in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to catch up with where the people of Ireland are, North and South. A united Ireland is not a far-off dream for another generation to deliver. We must have the courage to reach for it now during our Presidency, and do the work so we can finally make the dream come true. Anois an t-am don aontacht.”
“The truth is that Ireland could close all its hospitals, all its schools, all its universities and pour every penny into the bloated pockets of weapon manufacturers and still we would not be able to defend ourselves from any threat, real or otherwise. International law is the only protection small countries like Ireland have and we have a unique opportunity with the EU Presidency. We can choose to go along with the hypocrisy or we can challenge it. We can stand up for what the EU was supposed to be about, peace, co-operation and solidarity, by demonstrating that international order must be upheld and international law implemented. That means looking to the future as well for our Presidency because a place where the EU did play a positive role in supporting peace was on our island.”
“Ordinary people can see it and they are not fooled. They see a Union that lectures about human rights while turning a blind eye to genocide, or worse enabling it, when it suits. Member states continue to trade with Israel, supply arms, and give political cover and silence where there should be disgust and outrage. Ordinary people wonder why Palestinians, Lebanese and Iranian schoolgirls should be forced to pay with their lives for the crimes of the Weimar Republic 80 years later. Yet there are those, led by our Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, who want Ireland to cosy up to EU warmongers, who obsequiously agree that increased militarisation is the only way forward for Europe, who want more alignment for Ireland with military blocs, and who think we should abandon neutrality, fall into line and succumb to the war machine.”
“This week we mark Europe Day. The European Union likes to present itself as a peace project founded off the back of two World Wars in quick succession and built on the promise that never again would Europe stand by while genocide unfolded. It talks about multilateralism, co-operation, solidarity and international law - all the right words but those words ring hollow because when it matters most and when people are being slaughtered the European Union has not led; it has failed. The peace project is taking a battering. What we continue to see in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran has shattered any claims the EU has moral leadership on the world stage. In Ukraine, the EU has no plan for peace only a plan for the unlimited supply of arms and weapons that continue to slaughter innocent people, both Ukrainian and Russian.”
“We do not know how long these conflicts are going to last. We do not know when the next crisis is going to come. We have to make sure that we are prepared. I ask the Minister after his engagement with the professor to write to the climate or transport committee. It would be appreciated.”
“I am grateful for that because this is critical. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it should have been a wake-up call for us. We should have accelerated investment in renewables and energy security straight away. We have to accept that geopolitical instability is going to be part of the world - certainly for the next few years - and plan for that. Short-term supports certainly are a help but they do not go far enough. This paper offers solutions. We need long-term solutions, such as investing in the grid, expanding renewable energy, and easing pressure on the system. I encourage the Minister to look at a moratorium on data centres. It comes up all the time at the climate committee that the grid has increased and the first come first served system just does not work in regard to data centre.”
“Even if people do want to switch to EVs, the grid infrastructure is just not there and that leaves rural communities stuck for the foreseeable future. What has been done to make sure rural areas have the grid capacity that they need so we can get on with the decarbonisation?”
“That is great that the Minister has engaged with this and that he will be meeting Professor Caulfield because the need to decarbonise and move to green energy has never been clearly, especially with the illegal wars in Iran, Ukraine, Lebanon and everywhere. The Minister can tell Michéal Martin that we do know about it. People in rural communities depend on their cars and are feeling this the most. One obvious way to protect them from these price shocks is to make electrical vehicles more accessible. The paper to which I refer suggests that this is not really that straightforward. While the good news is that the uptake of EVs in rural areas has been good, many of the people who are reliant on them are charging them at home. This can cause huge spikes in demand that our grid simply cannot handle.”
“Is the Minister for Transport aware of the findings of a research paper from the school of physics in Trinity College Dublin entitled Why Rural Ireland holds the key to transport decarbonisation? Has he engaged with himself, as the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, on this matter?”
“I visited it recently and it is a great facility, but like most things the Government does it did not finish it. The car park is unsafe for the children. It is a gold-standard building, but it needs to be finished. The capitation grant does not meet the needs of children with special educational needs. Saplings Special School in Kill is struggling massively in its current premises, which is an old, dilapidated building, with toilets and sensory rooms that are well below par. Despite the fabulous staff, the schools are simply not fit for purpose. Toilet seats are broken and the capitation grant does not meet what these schools need.”
“He is not costing the State any more money because the poor man is dead. He was denied the special education he needed and he ended up in jail. We have children who are travelling long distances to other schools outside their communities. Many children really struggle with this. I know of children from Meath coming to Kildare and vice versa . Children deserve to have their education in their local area, where they are making friends and they can go out an play on the road. Last year, we had a massive outpouring from parents who thought there was no other option but to sleep in tents on Marlborough Street, outside the Department of education. This is an absolutely desperate situation for these parents to be in. We have a great special school in Maynooth.”
“Every year, year in, year out, we are at this, where parents scramble for places for their children with special educational needs, and every year it becomes clearer and clearer that this State is abjectly failing in its duty to these children. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have repeatedly failed children with additional educational needs, their families and the professionals who support them. The Government says it is spending more. Of course it is; our population is growing. An appropriate school place for children with additional needs is essential for their long-term development in order that they can become functioning adults. The last time I was speaking about special education I spoke about how some of these children are ending up in prisons. I spoke about one person in particular in Kildare who did.”
“To parents in Celbridge who are sick and tired of their schools being disregarded by the Department of education, this is just pedantic. I ask the Taoiseach to speak to the Minister and her Department to cut through the red tape and ensure the school gets a new roof over the summer, ensuring no further damage to the building.”
“The dire condition of another school in my constituency in of Kildare North, this time in Celbridge, is causing distress to students and teachers. Scoil na Mainistreach has had an ongoing issue with a roof over the past few years, and it is only getting worse. The school has had contractors out and they said it should not attempt another patch job after numerous patch jobs given the poor construction of the school in the first instance. The contractors are also concerned that the internal structure of the school has been damaged. The school decided to apply for funding under the emergency works scheme as it was too late for the summer works scheme but it was rejected by the Department as it does not fall under the category of emergency works.”
“Even in my constituency, right next to Dublin, Maynooth and Leixlip have gas but Prosperous and Clane do not. They do not have affordable alternatives. They cannot simply switch energy at the stroke of a pen. We already have 320,000 households and counting in energy arrears across the State, a number which will only increase with Trump's illegal war and Israel's illegal war on Iran. Therefore, while it is important we keep reducing our air pollution for our own health and well-being as well as the State's coffers, it is important we do not punish those who are already to the pin of their collar for simply trying to keep warm.”
“I have said before that when the CFCs were in our aerosols, the Government and the EU did not put a tax on aerosols or on the CFCs that were in the aerosols; they banned them. We have to make sure we have clean energy because the carbon tax, while there is no alternative, simply will not work. We are only punishing those who are worse off when they have no alternatives at their disposal. That same logic that we applied when we were protecting the ozone layer must be applied here. We need support measures and affordability schemes alongside this legislation to help those people make that transition and not penalise them for circumstances beyond their control. Tens of thousands of homes across rural Ireland are not connected to the gas network.”
“Sinn Féin has been consistent about this. I have been consistent about it at the climate committee as well. We cannot keep up with the demand for data centres. We cannot keep building more data centres and giving them half the price of electricity that everyone else gets and that ordinary households pay. We are not just running to stand still; we are running and we are still going backwards. We have to move on that. We have always stated our opposition to the likes of the carbon tax, for example, until proper alternatives are available for people. That is also something I have always spoken about. Carbon taxes can work only where there is an alternative. If people can afford clean energy, I have no problem with their being taxed for using dirty energy but the alternative simply is not there.”
“In 2022, some 54% of households were using solid fuels to heat their home with 16% using them as their primary source of heating. People have had to turn to these sources of fuel because of the rise in the price of home heating oil which is only set to get worse as we have discussed at length in this Chamber. Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for investment in renewables. However, what is the point in investing in renewable energy if it will only be used to facilitate the insatiable energy demands of data centres? I know this is about local authorities but we cannot turn a blind eye to this. Now is the time to invest in renewable energy to ensure lower electricity prices for households and to shield them from a volatile market. We must be sure that this energy is not directly funnelled into expanding data centre capacity.”
“We really have to look at proper funding for local authorities. We need resourcing of the local authorities as they are currently underequipped to enforce environmental regulations. I also welcome that this Bill will not interfere with turbary rights or impose new restrictions on households. It will protect those who register and sell their fuels properly, who meet standards, and who sell clean and compliant products, which is very welcome. Those who act properly within the confines of the laws should not be undercut by those who ignore the rules and sell cheaper, dirty fuel. Having said that, it is important to recognise that there are communities where families depend on solid fuel for their heating. Not every household can afford to buy more expensive, higher standard fuel.”
“Even though bans have been in place in Ireland for these smoky fuels for many years and the 1987 Act restricts the distribution and sale of smoky fuels, there has been little or no enforcement. The local authorities are responsible for enforcement and have been hindered in their ability to enforce the law due to some deficiencies in the 1987 Act. Under-resourcing and the erosion of power within local authorities under consecutive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments means that local authorities find it increasingly difficult to do their job in all these sectors. It is all very well to amend older Acts to empower local authorities but if they are not resourced properly, how can we expect them to properly carry out their job? This is something that comes up time and again at the climate committee.”
“The European Environment Agency estimates that over 1,600 premature deaths occur annually in Ireland due to air pollution from causes, including respiratory illness, stroke and cardiovascular disease. That is ten times the number of people who died on our roads last year. It really is a huge figure. It is a public health emergency and I really welcome this Bill because those numbers are staggering. These deaths are also impacting on our healthcare services which cannot afford any more strain. These conditions require treatment that costs healthcare providers around €56 million. Polluting our air makes no sense for our health or our pockets. The pollutants of most concern to us are to be found in the burning of solid fuels for home heating, such as coal, turf and wet wood.”
“I support the intentions and objectives of the Bill. Clean air was one of the first issues I brought up under Questions on Policy or Legislation so it is extremely important. As my colleague An Teachta Daly said, air does not know any borders. I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, as a strong united-Irelander, knows that too. It is absolutely pivotal to our health and our well-being. It is something that many of us might not think about on a day-to-day basis but it is absolutely essential to our way of life. Air pollution has a serious impact on public health and the environment. Indeed, it is the biggest environmental risk to our health.”
“The shining example is the children's hospital, which has been delayed 18 times and counting. The DART+ West project will run to Kilcock in my constituency, and not to Maynooth, as I like to remind people. I am on the infrastructural committee. I wanted pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. We were prepared to meet often and to meet over the holidays to do it quickly. As the chair of the committee, an Teachta Fleming, said, we have had the experts in. They tell us that it is not because of judicial reviews or environmental reasons that we are not getting infrastructure. It is the result of the Government's lack of action.”
“Ireland is by far one of the richest countries in the EU, yet our infrastructure delivery is worse than that of Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, all of which are poorer on the GNI metric. All we see is the Government clapping itself on the back about fiscal prudence and running a budgetary surplus, year on year. People keep hearing from the Government benches that we are a rich country, but no one feels it. They see a country crippled by a housing crisis exacerbated by a basic lack of infrastructure. That is why I welcome measures that will speed up delivery, but experience tells me I should be very doubtful about it. The record of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on critical infrastructure delivery is categorised by inaction, delays and bad value for people's money.”
“We have a chronic lack of infrastructure in our country. The basics, such as housing, transport, school places, hospitals, grid capacity and an effective high-quality water supply, are all completely lacking in the second richest country in all of Europe. Where does the money go? It is the people's money, the tax that people pay for their work, the solidarity contributions they make to their fellow citizens in the running of the State. A graphic made by Sinéad O'Sullivan went viral over the weekend. It showed Ireland's massive wealth relative to our lack of delivery and infrastructure at a European level. Unfortunately, we are in a league of our own. We are the red dot on the chart, out on our own and well below both poorer and wealthier countries.”
“It is just another revenue stream when the Government could take real action and commence the mass retrofitting of homes, ensuring supports are fair and equitable for people who cannot afford the expensive retrofits. However, when we have TDs in here misleading the Dáil and not even knowing that the carbon tax is not ring-fenced, what hope do we have?”
“This motion is about standing with those people who have been ignored and left behind, including those who could not protest like the carers and people with disabilities. We have given the Government the solution and it should not forget whose money this is. This is the people's money and their taxes. What we are missing here is leadership. All that people can see is an arrogant Government that is completely out of touch with its people. I want people to stop misleading the Dáil. The Comptroller and Auditor General stated that carbon tax was not ring-fenced the way people were led to believe, yet we have TDs coming into this Chamber who are still talking about it as if it is ring-fenced. Sinn Féin knows the carbon tax is a sop.”
“Families are dreading their oil tanks running dry because they cannot even afford a partial fill. Petrol and diesel are heading for record highs. Meanwhile, workers, families, farmers, fishers and small businesses are being squeezed to the limit. We know that Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war has caused this crisis in fuel prices but the truth is this is the Government in Ireland and it has a choice. It could give a decent cut to fuel costs, such as 25 cent off petrol and diesel, it could scrap excise on home heating oil and it could deliver real relief, but it will not. Instead, it sits on a massive surplus while our people are struggling to get by. Confidence in this Government is gone. I could not believe the number of phone calls my office got today from the most surprising people who were fuming with the Government.”
“I will give the Minister of State the truth. The truth is that people are at breaking point and this Government is standing idly by, completely failing them. After a disastrous, stingy budget, families have been hit with soaring fuel prices. Filling the car or heating the home is simply unaffordable. This is not just pressure any more. We are at a crisis point now. When people took to the streets to say enough was enough, what did this Government do? It ignored them, it refused to listen to them and it looked down its nose at them. The Government also ignored the people who could not protest like the carers and people with disabilities. The Government gave a disastrous response. The Government threatened the use of the people's own army against them to show just how out of touch it was. Home heating oil is at a 30-year high.”
“Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to scrap the increase in the carbon tax, introduce proper measures that we have handed to it to protect those using home heating oil and invest out in solar and wind to protect families from future actions by warmongers.”
“This legislation looks to protect more than 750,000 households that rely on home heating oil by reducing the price by a whopping 2 cent per litre. That is a reduction of about €20 on fuel that now costs almost €2,000. The Minister is taking the mick. Thousands of people in my constituency in north Kildare rely on home heating oil to heat their homes and have been left high and dry by this do nothing Government. Sinn Féin's legislation would have reduced the cost of a 1,000 litre tank by €183 instead of the measly €20 the Government has proposed here today. These are the protections that people need.”
“It took four weeks into this global crisis created by a warmonger in Israel and his boor in the US for this Government to take some action. The reduction in excise duty was a welcome step but it did not go far enough. People will still be paying more for petrol and diesel than they did before the start of this war. On top of that, the carbon tax increase is going to offset every measure the Government is bringing forward. We already know that carbon tax cannot change behaviour unless there is an alternative. The Comptroller and Auditor General reported to the Committee of Public Accounts a few months ago that only 61% of what the Government has ring-fenced has actually been used to help people out. The Government has been found out trying to con the people with more than 320,000 families already in energy arrears.”
“They could take substantial choices to tackle that issue if they wished, instead of washing their hands of the situation and leaving vulnerable people at the mercy of a very volatile market. They could, for example, empower the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, to prioritise the affordability of credit in its decision-making, as the Bill sets out. This is critical as things are only getting worse. It is a damning indictment of this Government that it is allowing an increase in the number of data centres, which are increasing demand on the grid, while doing nothing to protect the most vulnerable, who are at breaking point. The regulation and restructuring of standing charges and the PSO levy as expressed in our Bills will ensure that data centres pay their fair share and that households will not foot the bill.”
“Ba mhaith liom mo chomrádaithe, na Teachtaí Daly, O’Rourke agus O’Hara, a mholadh as ucht an Bhille seo a thabhairt os comhair na Dála. We have two Bills which are both very important and will explicitly tackle Ireland's energy rip-off and price-gouging once and for all. They are the Electricity Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Standing Charges) Bill 2026. We in Sinn Féin have been calling on the Government to tackle price-gouging and empower the regulator to deal with this as long as I have been elected. We have more than 320,000 households in energy arrears, as well as some of the highest electricity bills in Europe, when we used to have some of the lowest. This Bill shows there is a political choice for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and their Independents.”
“Seán need no longer be "Sean", Ciarán will no longer be "Ciaran" and with the help of God, and my mother, Réada will not be pronounced as "Reeda" anymore. Bheadh mo mhamaí sásta leis sin. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh meas againn ar ainmneacha daoine. Léiríonn an Bille seo an meas sin ar ainmneacha Gaeilge.”
“Molaim mo chomrádaí, an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, as an mBille seo a thabhairt os comhair na Dála. Is Bille tábhachtach é seo maidir le cearta teanga, scríofa go hiomlán i nGaeilge. This is an important Bill, recognising the importance of Irish in everyday life. Countless people are forced to alter their name or home address because so many systems in this country do not respect the language of the country in which they operate. Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland tell us we are invalid characters. Whatever about being a character, we do not want to be told we are invalid. This is the norm in every other country I have lived in. I was in Spain for a few years and there was no problem with tildes and other accents ach níl sé seo fíor in Éireann agus mo náire orainn faoi sin. Athraíonn an Bille seo é sin.”
“I ask the Minister to outline what steps her Department is taking to ensure proper, safe facilities to secure an immediate return of these students to the school. Parents were left without childcare for their children today. They have waited almost 19 years for a permanent school building, and they were left with 24-hours notice about getting their children minded today.”
“I raise the issue of St. Patrick’s School in Celbridge. It is closed today because of safety concerns. I raised this a couple of weeks ago and over the past few years. I mentioned it is held together with duct tape. We managed to speak to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, last night, and she said members of the Department are going out to inspect the school today. I asked would she issue us with the safety report and hopefully the school could open again. The parents need to know that for transparency. She told us there is a programme of works to be done. We need information on a timeline today so we can give that to parents this evening. The parents, staff and students deserve transparency and reassurance on this.”
“Tá méid na ndaoine atá ag labhairt Gaeilge i gCill Dara ag fás le Gaelscoileanna cosúil le Scoil Chearbhaill Uí Dhálaigh i Léim an Bhradáin agus Scoil Uí Riada i gCill Choca. Tá dhá bhunscoil agus meánscoil amháin i Maigh Nuad: Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich, Gaelscoil Ruairí agus Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad. Tá Gaelscoil Nás na Ríogh agus Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara i Nás, agus táimid ag súil le Gaelscoil nua sna Solláin. Mar sin, tá níos mó daoine óga ag labhairt na Gaeilge sa chontae. Tá an grúpa Cill Dara le Gaeilge ann chomh maith agus é ag cur go mór le húsáid na teanga i gCill Dara. Tá sé le moladh ach caithfidh an Rialtas tacú leis anois. Tá daoine ag iarraidh an teanga a labhairt ach níl an Rialtas ag cabhrú leo. Is féidir linn daoine óga a spreagadh chuici mar tá suim acu anois sa teanga. Is teanga bheo í an Ghaeilge.”
“Tá áthas orm labhairt sna ráitis maidir le Seachtain na Gaeilge inniu. Tá fáinne airgid agam anois. Gach bhliain, tugann an Rialtas a shuntas don Ghaeilge i rith Seachtain na Gaeilge. Deir sé go bhfuil an Ghaeilge tábhachtach mar chuid dár bhféiniúlacht, dár stair agus dár gcultúr. Tá níos mó daoine ag cur suime sa Ghaeilge agus ag éisteacht le Gaeilge sa cheol, i scannáin agus ar an raidió, ach níl an Rialtas ag tacú leis an teanga nó lena fás. Déanann an Rialtas damáiste bliain i ndiaidh bliana. Tá sé sin le feiceáil sa Ghaeltacht. Ní féidir le muintir na Gaeltachta tithe a cheannach ina bpobal féin. Mar sin, tá méid na ndaoine atá ag labhairt Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht ag laghdú. Tá an Ghaeilge ag streachailt sa Ghaeltacht. Caithfear gníomhú anois chun tacú léi. Tá scéalta dearfacha freisin, buíochas le Dia.”