Richard O'Donoghue
Limerick County · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“The crucial point is that the HSE environmental health service examined the matter, visited the community and requested a public health investigation into the complaints. The public health section denied it. One part of the health service was looking for an investigation but the Department's public health section denied it.”
“I have a copy of that investigation. The Tánaiste and I met CEPA a number of years ago and we discussed these complaints. The Taoiseach is on the record 13 years ago saying that there are health implications to wind farms. There is something that I want the Tánaiste and all other Members sitting around the House today to do.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. The issue here is the inconsistency. In the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown area, all noise complaints received by the local authority are investigated by the HSE.”
“Today, I am raising the issue of wind farms and their health implications. A number of weeks ago, I was copied into a serious letter from the Communities and Environmental Protection Alliance, CEPA, to the Minister of Health. I am informed that there has been no response, not even an acknowledgement.”
“I would also like to have the Minister for Health there to meet these people and to see if we can relieve concerns and meet young people and their families' entitlement to a night's sleep. This cannot go on for more years. We have been talking about this for years. We must think of the health implications and how we can help.”
“It has been proven without doubt that there are health implications to wind turbines in certain areas. I am not against wind turbines in areas where they do not have health implications, but this one does. So, when the Tánaiste is giving his reply, I want him to think of the children and families this is affecting.”
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Every one of 585 lines we hold for Richard O'Donoghue, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 11 of 12.
“What is our first problem when we see tariffs? Trump met our Taoiseach before St. Patrick’s Day and invited Conor McGregor to meet him on St. Patrick’s Day. That is what he thinks of Ireland. He looks at Ireland as a tax haven for companies but what he needs to realise is that it is a tax nightmare for workers. Trump also needs to realise that one in every ten people in the US claims Irish ancestry. I ask the people in the US who have Irish in them to make that quite clear to him. He also knows that, to Europe, Ireland is a pimple on its backside. Europe does not really care what happens to us because we are that minute. The damage Trump has done in the world markets and the uncertainty he has caused are already wreaking havoc in Europe, including Ireland, and are scaring people considerably.”
“I can go around and visit all the plants around the country, help the Minister and give him what he needs to take on Uisce Éireann and make it give him value for money. That is how I can help him. If he is willing to take up my offer, I will help him to deliver more for the people of Ireland.”
“I will work it into simple cubic metres for the Minister. The Croom plant has roughly 1,200 cu. m for storage. In a dry season it has between 250 cu. m and 300 cu. m to deal with sewerage but during the winter it is at maximum capacity, at 1,200 cu. m. That means the Minister and the taxpayer are paying for treating storm water. That is what we are treating rather than taking a simple solution which is to split the water network, have the storm water go to an interceptor and then to the rivers and have the sewerage go to the plant. That is how you can allow for more houses and infrastructure to be built in an area. That is a solution that can be put in place at a small cost for the fix. I can help the Minister there.”
“I commend the Minister on what he is trying to achieve but, with all the best will in the world, if there is no accountability and value for money, what he will be doing for the next number of years is the same thing all over again. I will give him one example of how we could save money from the likes of Uisce Éireann and get more value so we can fix some of the leaks we have around the place. I know some places that have had the same leak fixed 20 times. They would have the road or the pipe network fixed for the 20 call-outs they are paying someone to fix the same pipe over and over again. I recently did a small study on a sewerage plant. The capacity of any sewerage plant in this country is made up of, in a dry season, which is our summer, the capacity of the town or village multiplied by either three or four.”
“Is the Minister up for taking help from someone who is in the construction sector, who knows water and sewerage and knows how to fix and maintain them? Will he take my offer of helping him to save money and get more value for money? Will he take that offer? I can help him to save money on what he is giving Uisce Éireann and get more infrastructure in place with the same money. If he is open to taking help, that is what I can do for him, or does he think he is above taking help from somebody who worked all their life in this sector? I wish him well in his position. I do not trust his Department. I do not trust Uisce Éireann. I do not trust them for one reason: there is no accountability.”
“The Ceann Comhairle, in the position she is in at the moment, is pulling us for something she was well able to do in the past. That is a point of humour, rather than a criticism. I support any Bill that will help people in this respect. I suggest to the Minister of State that I would like to open up negotiations for people outside the current criteria. This would allow us to move forward, look out for people regardless of their age and work with those who are over or under the current age.”
“When the Ceann Comhairle was on this side of the House, she was very good at changing the subject. I would like to remind her on the record that she was very good at doing it.”
“He was either very fast or I was very slow. He lived to the age of 98. Bus Éireann drivers can drive up to the age of 70 but cannot drive after that. Yet, they can drop children to a school. Their brother, sister or friend at the age of 71, 72 or 75 can pull up in the same size bus, pick up the students, take them to the Oireachtas in Dublin and take them home. If someone is fit enough to work and wants to work, we should permit a yearly health certificate from his or her doctor or consultant to allow him or her to do that job, which we need at the moment. A lot of people before retirement age are not fit to go to work or drive but there are people who are fit to do these things after retirement age and I ask that this be facilitated. I will finish up.”
“I note that the Ceann Comhairle has asked people to stick to the topic, which I will. I will highlight a few issues. I support the Bill. I support any Bill that will allow a person to get his or her pension either before or at retirement age. The retirement age is now 66. I believe the Government should honour a person with an employment contract that was completed before the legislation changed the retirement age from 65 to 66, instead of asking him or her to sign on for social welfare or go on his or her stamps if he or she has worked all his or her life. I am one of 11 children. My father was 59 years older than me. I look at the health of different people in various age groups. I remember asking my father to race me when I was 11. He was 70 and said "sure come on so". He beat me down the road as if I was not even there.”
“I wish Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett well in his treatment. Please God everything goes well for him. This question is for the Minister of Health and relates to the freeze on UHL. Two Limerick people are coming home from Australia. One is a physiotherapist and the other is an ICU nurse. The ICU nurse had been told they had a position in the hospital but they received a letter to say it was sorry that there is a freeze on taking on staff in UHL. These are two Irish people who want to return home and join the health service, which I would welcome. If the Minister could intervene, that would be welcome. This person was offered a job in UHL but is now being told they cannot have it.”
“We need to question that to make sure the money the Government invests in housing goes further, and then we can get delivery that helps the Government and helps the people I represent as well. That is what I want from the Minister, so I need his help.”
“Its electricity costs have increased because it has not replaced aerators in the system. As there has been no maintenance, electricity costs are rising. Uisce Éireann is coming to the Government cap in hand claiming it has no money because the costs have gone out of control. It is deliberately not maintaining some plants. It has them overrun to fool the Government. I invite the Minister to come down to visit any plant he wants. We will look at them to see what has happened over the four or five years Uisce Éireann has been running them and see where it is not telling the Government the truth and looking for extra money. I want value for money from Uisce Éireann. If it can be done in other European countries and projects can be delivered there for half the price they are delivered here, that is a problem.”
“Why are we not giving something back to people who are building their own houses? The cap for the help to buy scheme is too low at €450,000. Most of the houses have moved past that and the people who were put on the help to buy scheme have gone far past that. Someone might build a house tomorrow and pay the builder €400,000. That person might get a valuation on the house and a valuer could value it at €550,000 because the people next door sold their house at €550,000. It is done on valuation and the help to buy scheme does not help those people. Regarding infrastructure, when will the Government audit Uisce Éireann? I have been in construction all of my life and we visit plants to look at them. Let us consider the running costs of the Uisce Éireann plants over the past five years. Some of these plants have not been maintained.”
“I wish the Minister well in his position and I look forward to working with him. I have been in construction all my life and I want to give the Minister a bit of advice and to ask him for his help. Why can we not extend the fee waiver for planning permission to help people who are building their own houses, which means they are not depending on the State and also helps address inflation costs? Why can we not reintroduce that? Just to show the inflation costs we have at the moment for housing, it cost €121 per square foot in 2021. At the time, a 2,000 sq. ft house cost €240,000, plus VAT for the Government at €32,400. That same house today will cost €200 per square foot, meaning that the same house costs €400,000 and the Government gets €54,000 in VAT directly from that.”
“I am not here to roar and shout; I am here to follow the Standing Orders. The Standing Orders were not adhered to. That is what I am questioning.”
“That is what I am questioning. I am not questioning Michael Healy-Rae, Sean Canney, Noel Grealish, Kevin Boxer Moran or Marian Harkin getting junior Ministries. At least they stood up and went into government. I am not questioning that; I am questioning the fact that Standing Orders were not followed, even though there is a record of an email that we sent, which was followed up by an email from Michael Collins and Ken O'Flynn. That is on the record. Also on the record is the Journal of the Proceedings of the Dáil. We have been asking for the Journal of the Proceedings of the Dáil but it has not been given to us. Why? It is because it is supposed to be here. Standing Orders have to be adhered to. The Ceann Comhairle did not follow Standing Orders. That is what I am questioning today. That is what I put in writing to the Ceann Comhairle.”
“We are here today for a vote of no confidence in the Ceann Comhairle. Many previous speakers referred to right and wrong. I have a copy of the Standing Orders in front of me. If you were to follow the Standing Orders last week - what was done right and what was done wrong. I was the person from Independent Ireland who emailed the Ceann Comhairle at the time and asked her, as well as at the time of the recess, to look at the process on the Standing Orders. I followed protocol. I asked her to acknowledge the email but they never came back. If you look at Oireachtas television, within 11 seconds the Ceann Comhairle rammed something through even though there was a call of "Vótáil". That is on the record of Oireachtas television. That is the right and the wrong that was done here. That is what has been done wrong.”
“Irish people cannot find housing for themselves and people coming here from other countries to work cannot get accommodation. People who come into this country and are subsidised by the State must be subject to a means test. If that were the case, we could house people who need accommodation and help those who need funding for housing to access it. I know many Ukrainian people who have come here and are working. They have integrated into society and have made a life for themselves here. I wish them the best of luck. They are integrated and they are helping society. That is 100% the case. However, a minority of people who come to this country claim they are one thing but their financials show a completely different story. That is not helping the people from Ukraine or anywhere else. Neither is it helping the Irish people.”
“I wish the Minister the best of luck in her role. I agree 100% with my colleague, Deputy O'Flynn. People in this country have gone out of their way to help people from Ukraine and it was the right thing to do. People opened up their houses and provided people with rooms, which was fantastic. However, a minority of people have come in, claiming they are from Ukraine. They have bought properties here for over €1 million, while living in accommodation supplied by the Government. We should do our very best for vulnerable people from Ukraine or from any place in the world who we can help if we are able to do so. I am 100% in favour of that. However, I have a big problem with people who are being put up by the State and who take it to another level. I refer to those who come here and have two or three properties.”
“If we are not careful we will be heading into a deep recession where we will need all the funds possible to make sure that we can keep people fed in this country.”
“Many Irish-Americans who are descended from here live in America. I am asking them also to add their voices to protect the place from which they came and protect jobs here. That is a message I would like to send to President Trump, to make sure that Irish-Americans who are working in America, have built their lives in America and helped to build America into what it is, should use that in protection of the country they came from. I refer to whatever we have to do to protect these jobs and to protect the moneys that have come into this country, which have helped to make our economy sustainable. In the present, we see massive inflation as it is. Things are spiralling out of control, including house building.”
“What protections do we have from Europe regarding the tariffs threatening to be introduced by America on our businesses here and across Europe? What protections have we got from such a thing coming down which could impact the loss of jobs, as well as the loss of investment in this country? Vance said Ireland was a tax haven for these companies. The funds and jobs we have from these companies need to be protected. Even more, how do we counteract the likes of President Trump and Vance? I believe the Government was right to go over to meet President Trump. All avenues have to be kept open. However, the knock-on effect will not only be from those companies, but will be across transport and local businesses. Also, the cost will be the loss of jobs. At all times we have to keep communications open. I send this across the world to America.”
“People were elected to the House by the people, so why not take it back to the people on the issue of neutrality? I will go back to investment in the Defence Forces. It was mentioned by Deputy Collins, our party leader. We had a helicopter that the door fell off. Will we not look after our Defence Forces and equipment first before we start doing anything else? Look after our own - is there something wrong with that? I do not believe so, but it looks like the Government does.”
“The failure to consult the people is even more concerning if we consider that in January 2025 a poll showed 75% of Irish people support neutrality. This result was reflected across all groups, regions and political parties, including Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. This indicates the Government has no mandate whatsoever to dismantle the triple lock and attempting to do so without consulting the people is a dangerous subversion of democracy. Again, we are back to democracy. Why do we not take this back to the people of Ireland and ask them whether they want to remove the triple lock? It is because the Government would get a loud and clear message, as was shown in the survey that states 75% of people do not want it removed and that they believe in neutrality. Why is the Government so afraid to take it to the people?”
“Then we should put it into equipment that we need for our basic security that has not been updated in years and we need to look after the people in the Defence Forces. Article 5 of Bunreacht na hÉireann establishes that Ireland is a sovereign, independent, democratic State while Article 6 sets out that all powers of Government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive from the people. Under the Constitution, therefore, sovereignty is vested in the people and consulting us on matters of national interest is not only a legal imperative, it is the cornerstone of democracy. Democracy was raised yesterday in this Chamber of democracy when we saw what was pushed through the Dáil. That is not democracy. Democracy is open meetings to make sure we come out with a proper result. That was not democracy yesterday.”
“As the general secretary of Independent Ireland, I commend everyone in the Defence Forces. I commend everyone in our Army, and everyone who is a protector of Ireland. I say to those people that I am sorry that this and previous Governments have not treated them with fairness, even on pay and conditions. We have called out our forces to help us in times of crisis. One side of our forces gets treated well. Some had to bring their own sandwiches while the other part of our forces were given food and looked after. Their pay and living conditions while they are protecting us are not fair. The investment we need to put into our Defence Forces needs to be in the people in the Defence Forces first.”
“We need investment in Garda services and equipment and more of what we are seeing from An Garda Síochána at the moment, in collaboration with younger people.”
“It allowed the Garda to communicate with the younger generation and try to help them with health and safety. It opened communication between the Garda and younger people coming up. It was a way for the Garda to say it is okay for young people to approach gardaí and that is what we want to happen. We want young people to know they can approach and confide in gardaí. That is a good thing. It is thinking outside the box. However, it can only be done with investment from the Government. It must provide the facilities and equipment for the Garda to carry out more of that work. When that happens when people are young, it will work as they get older because the communication is there. They can work together as a community for the betterment of the whole area. That is key.”
“When will we get those gardaí back on the beat, if that is going to happen? I would like a deadline for that. According to the statistics, per head of population Ireland is now one of the biggest users of cocaine in Europe. That is alarming. We see all the different laws that are coming in. We are tightening up on drink and drug laws. We now have the changing of speed limits. When you add them all together, we do not have a police force to police these laws. When are we going to get the police force to police these laws? When are we going to get the community gardaí who are vital? Gardaí are working hard at the moment. They recently brought out a tractor on a tractor run. The tractor was painted in the colours of An Garda Síochána. What did that do?”
“I wish the Minister of State well in his role. We need gardaí in my area. We also need equipment for our gardaí. Searches and rescues happened during snow and storms. The Garda assisted in searches for missing persons and had to borrow equipment from another county. I wish to put a question on the record and would like a written response from the Minister of State. There was an investigation of gardaí in Limerick in 2019. That investigation is still ongoing. If somebody was found guilty, they would have been brought to justice by now. This has been going on for six years. Those gardaí could be back on the beat if they were found to have done nothing wrong. Why is the investigation taking so long? It does not make sense. If the judicial system works, it should not take that long. I would like to know when those cases will come to a close.”
“They must be made accountable and never get into a position again where they can have funding at their fingertips and lose it. We want infrastructure delivered. We want to make sure there is accountability within the Departments and a body watching over every penny that is spent on behalf of every business person and every worker in this country who is paying for this Dáil today. That is what we want.”
“It is projecting that it will cost €400 million to bring water to Dublin. I talked to representatives of Uisce Éireann recently. They said I should visit one of their plants in Dublin but I said they should come down and look at one in Limerick. The LDA was set up to deal with a site 15 minutes from Limerick city that takes out two thirds of County Limerick from infrastructure. Every town and village needs to have infrastructure. Departments need to be held accountable. If they make a mistake, they should be demoted, not promoted. They should not just be put to one side and told "listen lads, you're okay, we'll shove you over here". The same business model that Revenue uses should be used in Departments. If people lose money, they must get out.”
“I will hold the Government to account in this Chamber and outside but I will also be respectful to the Government when it delivers. Delivery has to be in relation to Departments and the waste of funds. Statistics show that there is an urban-rural divide when it comes to infrastructure which discriminates against young people who want to live in the area they grew up in, who want to see it grow and who want to see infrastructure like buses or a rail network being provided. They want basic infrastructure so that towns and villages can be rebuilt, can grow and can be repurposed. If we starve areas of infrastructure, they cannot grow. The Government wants to push everything into the cities which are already bursting at the seams. The Government is going to counties like Limerick looking for water to come to Dublin.”
“I have said this to the Minister previously but he has not been listening. He is laughing now with the Minister beside him about the fact this has been brought up previously. I am talking about 45 years of disappointment from the Government. The Minister is new to the job. I urge him to stand up and be counted and get his Department to be accountable. Let us look at the HSE in Limerick. In my first contribution in the Dáil I said the management in UHL was wrong. The management changed five years later. How many lives were lost because of bad management? It took the Government five years to correct it and now it is trying to rebuild. That is accountability. That is what I am talking about. People sniggering, laughing and chuckling because the Government has a majority in the Dáil is not acceptable.”
“I want Ministers to stand up to their Departments and tell them that they are in charge, that the Department is going to do things and deliver for this country. Things are not going to continue to be done the way they have been for years. Let us look at Uisce Éireann and what it delivers for the money it is getting. It is not value for money. How do I know this? I know because I look at business plans across Europe and see other international companies delivering projects for half the price charged by Uisce Éireann. That is not accountability. That is a waste of funds. I look at Askeaton in County Limerick. Fianna Fáil promised 45 years ago that the wastewater treatment plant would be updated. A Fianna Fáil councillor said, on his election, that a wastewater treatment plant would be delivered in Limerick.”
“I wish the Minister well in his new role but I want him to do something different. I also wish the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and others well in their roles but I am asking them, as business people, to do one thing. There are some on the Government benches who are business people and I want them to make their Departments accountable. In saying that, I want to make them accountable for delivery. It is very simple. I have been in business all of my life. I am self-employed. If I make a mistake, I am accountable. Come the end of the month, if Revenue is not paid online, I am accountable. If VAT payments are not made, I am accountable. When Ministers go into their positions in Departments, they are often told they are welcome but that this is how things are done. That has to change now.”
“The people who have existing houses now have tiers 1, 2, 3 and 4, which means engineers now want to lift the roof off the house, take down some of the walls and rebuild others. The cost of getting some engineers to do it means it does not make economic sense.”
“I welcome the pupils and teachers from the CBS in Charleville who made the journey here today, especially Maddie, coming here on her sixth birthday, and my nephew Shane, who attends the CBS. I want to ask the Taoiseach about the defective blocks. He mentioned €2.2 billion is going to be spent on this. When the 5% tax on concrete products was brought in, it was €100 per sq. ft. It is now €200 per sq. ft. Will the Taoiseach look at the people from CBS in the Visitors Gallery, those who may want to build a house in the future, and tell them about how we now have inflation from €100 to €200 per sq. ft and all the Government is doing is taxing us out of existence so that the same people who want to rebuild or build a house will not be able to afford it?”
“Quite simply your life will be ruined if this goes ahead." The Taoiseach went on to say that the planning guidelines of 2006 were outdated in terms of the framework for the new technology. He requested that we accelerate the process. That was 12 years ago. People and their families have suffered health implications. Communities have been devastated. With all due respect, accelerating matters after 12 years gives me no hope for the future.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. I am going to go back to what the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, said in 2013. Before I do, I must state that the Government is taking information on health issues from producers and manufacturers and ignoring World Health Organization guidelines. In 2013, the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, referred to a full absence of transparency, an absence of consultation with residents and, above all, the absence of a legislative framework, health implications in terms of noise, shadow flicker, a reduction in amenities and a negative visual impact. He quoted Professor Alun Evans, who wrote in the British Medical Journal : "I greatly sympathise with you in your plight.”
“Before the Tánaiste answers my questions, I wish to point out that the guidelines relating to wind farms have not been updated since 2006. There is video evidence from 2013 of the current Taoiseach asking Enda Kenny, one of his predecessors, to have the guidelines updated. I have a written version of Deputy Martin's concerns at the time. Since then, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have been in government for a number of years but the guidelines have not been updated. This is despite the fact that there are health risks involved. Will the Tánaiste provide the written reply I have requested? Will he also respond to my other questions?”
“We asked the Taoiseach to state the Government's official position on the health impact of wind farms given the absence of HSE input in the planning process and growing concerns for affected communities. Planners lack the expertise to assess public health risks. Why did An Bord Pleanála stop informing the HSE? Was it instructed to stop? Who was liable? What is the State's position on wind farms and their health impacts? The High Court has ruled that wind turbine noise is a nuisance. Will the Tánaiste provide a written response confirming whether wind farm noise at 43 dB (A) LA90 is considered a statutory nuisance? Does the Government reject the High Court's judgment on wind turbine noise being a nuisance?”
“We asked him to clarify for how many years wind farm applications have been approved without HSE oversight. We asked why An Bord Pleanála ceased informing the HSE of such applications, whether An Bord Pleanála was instructed to stop the practice and who is responsible for ensuring public health risks are properly assessed in the planning process. Why were responses to parliamentary questions published on 22 October regarding HSE involvement in wind farm planning delayed for five weeks, held by the Tánaiste's then Department and only referred to the HSE on the day of the general election? We requested that the outstanding question be fully answered.”
“This goes back to when the Tánaiste was Taoiseach and we had a meeting about wind farms. He was asked five parliamentary questions. He responded to two immediately, delayed the response to two more, which came to him on 22 October, until the day of the election and has yet to respond to one.”
“What I am trying to say is that we need to make sure that rural schools are protected. If there must be a two-tier system to allow the same infrastructure to be put in so that we can support and grow our schools in the same way as urban schools, I will work with the Minister of State on that. However, in the interim, I need them to be protected and for there to be no reductions in hours.”
“This is about the SEN hours that are being provided. On the criteria, a letter from the Department came to the school. The Department says the school is losing 2.5 hours while the Minister of State is saying it is not. Surely to God there has been a mix-up in the paperwork somewhere. I will work with the Minister of State to rectify that. I will again go back to equal opportunity in education. Regulations from this House have stopped people from living in rural areas. If we are to rebuild communities, it is our schools that support local businesses, sports, families, recreation and mental health. They support everything. We have a letter from the Department that says one thing but the Minister of State is saying another. We can rectify this. I have no problem with that.”
“I thank the Minister of State for his response but, on the criteria for this, enrolments make up 25%, pupils' standardised test scores in second, fourth and sixth class make up 68.5% and educational disadvantage is based on pupils' addresses. If you are within an urban area, you will not have any need because you have infrastructure in the area around you. Many rural schools have little infrastructure and students must travel long distances to school. Their numbers sometimes fluctuate because the population is lower and they do not have the proper infrastructure. Planning laws and other regulations made here stop the populations of these areas from increasing. I want to see a two-tier system that will protect rural schools and help them to grow while giving us the same criteria as regards education into the future.”
“Why has a school in my constituency got confirmation from the Department of Education that the SEN hours provided will be cut by 2.5 hours even though the criteria state that a developing school would not lose hours? I am talking about Meenkilly National School in Abbeyfeale.”
“That needs to be addressed for the healthcare workers themselves and for the patients. It also needs to be addressed so we can help. If somebody is sick in a hospital, he or she does not want somebody speaking a different language because he or she might not be able to understand the person. I wish the Minister well in her position. I will do whatever I can to help her make sure that she makes the most out of this going forward.”
“The staff would see they had help, they were not being criticised and that something was going to be in place to rectify it. I am willing to help the Minister with that. For the Minister to get a full grasp of it, she will have to go there unannounced, and I believe she will. If I have to go in there to be the eyes and ears for the Minister, I will do so. I do not mind doing that because, at the end of the day, we are going to get the best healthcare for people. UHL will become what it once was. At one time it was the number one hospital in Ireland for training. An issue in UHL, and it is probably happening in other hospitals at the moment, is the integration of different nationalities. We have a language barrier. It is nothing to do with the healthcare, but we have a barrier because of people not understanding each other.”