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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“Last week, Independent Ireland tabled a Private Members' motion relating to the protection of whistleblowers. Part of our motion was to remove the protection for civil servants who are knowingly acting outside of their remit whereby they would not get protected by the State if they are knowingly acting outside the remit of their work. I asked at the time for an open vote from Government on the motion and it did not allow it. Why are we protecting people who are knowingly breaking the law within the Civil Service? This motion would have actually enacted that and protected people who are doing right, and people who are doing wrong within the service would be held personally accountable. I asked for an open vote and the Government did not allow it. Can the Taoiseach please tell me why?”
“Again, if the Deputies to my right keep interrupting, it means I am saying something that is hurting them very deeply. I have my opinion and I am here to help anyone who is in whatever situation they are in, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. This is what I am talking about. Everyone in this country deserves healthcare - end of story - regardless of their circumstances or whatever else. They deserve healthcare, and that is what the motion is about. It is about caring and giving healthcare to people regardless of what it is about.”
“This is what I am trying to say. Politicians come in here and say something sometimes for a headline. I say what I feel, being part of me. If Members do not agree with it, that is their problem. Remember this: I went around to many houses during the election. I went to one house and a person opened the door. They were identifying as a fox. Did I respect them? Did I talk to them? Yes, I did. Did I have to agree with it? No, I did not, but I respected them and spoke to them the same as a human being.”
“I have my opinion. It does not have to be the same as yours, but respect mine. At the end of the day, I am here to help, I am here to learn, I am here to give respect to whoever I can regardless of whether I agree with them or not. That is my opinion, and that is why I started off as I did. The Deputies thought I was going down a different road, but I am not.”
“I will respect and help people. That is my duty of care as a politician. People then say that one of our party members made an assumption. That is his opinion. It does not have to be mine. Allow a person to have their own opinion. All I am asking for is to be able to have my own opinion. My opinion is that there are an awful lot of people out there who are scared and lack understanding. The world is changing. Friends of mine are gay, friends of mine are lesbian and friends of mine are transgender. Friends of mine are scared because their children are coming up. My job here is to help them regardless of whether I agree with them or not. The job of doctors is to help people whether they agree with them or not. Education on this is key. As I said at the start, I have my own religion. I respect everyone else's religion, but respect mine.”
“Excuse me. Again, you cannot be quiet and listen to somebody else's opinion. It is called respect. I have been heckled in this House on more than one occasion, be that for my religion, for being over here, for being far right. I am going to put something very clear to you: I am a parent and a grandparent. I have a son who is gay. None of you ever said to me, "Gee, Richard, we did not know that." You do not know me but you make assumptions about people. The one thing I will do for anyone, whether they are up in the Gallery or not, whether I agree with them or not, is respect and help them every bit I can.”
“That is as much as it comes to. I am going to put something on the record very clearly to you now as well, Conor Sheehan, since you talk about Limerick and put Limerick people down. I am going to talk to you as a parent.”
“I will start with my disappointment that people on that side of the House would turn around and say that people on this side of the House are far right or far left. I am a father. I have been heckled-----”
“I ask him to look in the mirror and ask if that were him, and he was out doing search and rescue, would he like to be treated that way. That is what it is about. We can take this around the houses again in different ways. I thank every organisation for what they do in going out to fundraise to help people. I thank them for every bit of service they have delivered. Will the Government make sure that the Red Cross and the search and rescue services are protected?”
“We are considering our search and rescue services at a time when people in the fishing industry or others might be stranded somewhere and when there is flooding and there may be snow. We see what those search and rescue personnel do at a time of need. Every minute counts. People often say that different lives matter. The lives of Red Cross members matter too. They must have lives themselves. There must be a balance. Every life matters. Every life we can help to fund to ensure we can protect more people matters. When the Minister of State is looking in his ball and trying to see everything, I ask him to look from the other side of it. If he was in that position, would he like it if he were treated in that way?”
“These people are the same. There is blood running through their veins. I ask the Minister of State to ask those in his Department if they would recognise the 24 hours then. As I have the floor and we are coming up to Christmas, I will mention the Irish Red Cross. Anyone in Limerick is welcome to the Northern Trust on 14 December for Light Up Limerick. The latter is a fundraising event for the Irish Red Cross to allow it to provide a service. It is fundraising that relies on the goodwill of people so the organisation can help others through search and rescue services, including Abbeyfeale search and rescue, through the Red Cross in Doon and Kilmallock and in all the other areas where people come out to help others. Those organisations have to go out and fundraise to ensure they can provide a quality service to protect and help people.”
“What cost would the Minister of State put on life? That is the question. If it was in different circumstances and the Minister of State needed something, what cost would he put on his own life? When it comes to our search and rescue personnel, all I can say is "Thank you." They are absolutely unbelievable in what they do. If they work for 24 hours, that must be recognised. The Government is brilliant at putting in place regulations for different people. If people are driving trucks, the Government will tell them how many hours and minutes they can work, and that is regulated. For a service as important as search and rescue, what does the Government put in? It is okay for one group but not the other. The Minister of State could ask those working in his Department. If they were to work for 24 hours, would they recognise every hour then?”
“Next month, it will be another 5% and the month after another 5%. Then the Government puts a 5% levy on top of that. If there is to be any accountability in this House, it will be on the day those on the opposite side of the House get out and allow people in here who know what accountability is, who will stand up for the people who are suffering, who will try to put regulations in place and deal with those who did wrong, including the concrete companies. The Government is still helping them every single day.”
“I have structural engineers who would design infrastructure for you, but they are not qualified now to look at a pyrite house. These are structural engineers but they are not under the new system of the ones who are to sign off. The ones who are there to sign off for people to get a grant are not the same ones who will sign off to say someone's house is structurally sound. Where are we going? We are going around in circles. Let us circle the wagons again. Let us put another layer of bureaucratic bull where accountability should come into it. For God's sake, this thing has been rushed through. There has been no scrutiny of it and the Government has not listened to one word that we have said on it - not one word. The Government is going to let the same vulnerable people suffer over it. We hear 8% this week.”
“I have a message for people who are doing wrong outside their own remit. The voting is narrowing every time there is an election. The day will come when the other side of the House will feel accountability for not acting on behalf of the people of this country. They are vulnerable. There are people it could help now if it showed some common sense. The Government came out with a scheme for engineers. You had to be under an engineering crowd. When we had HomeBond, did it do us any good? For six years, instead of looking after properties, we had to pay extra for them. Where are they? I think they are at home bonding, but they are not helping the people of Ireland. The Government is putting in place various agencies, including the engineering crowd I have just mentioned.”
“I have just read from a letter I received from a company that was part, if not all, of the pyrite problem in this country. It has increased the price of materials for me over the last five years. It has gone up by 40%. The Minister talks about accountability. I told the Minister I would give him any help I could. I thank Deputies Ward and Mac Lochlainn for the work they have done. They have been at this from the very start, including the time I have spent on the housing committee with them. The Government has not listened to one word we have said. It does not take the experience from those who have it. During a debate on a Private Members' motion last week, we asked for people in the Civil Service who are working outside their own remit and doing wrong to be held accountable.”
“Some people who put in applications are told that they do not qualify for 100% redress. They qualify for the outside walls of their houses to come down, but the inside walls are not being covered. That is specialised work. Contractors like me do specialised work. I do not do any work for local authorities. All my work is directly for people. It is specialised work and it costs more. The disposal of materials is specialised work. An engineer has to sign off the building after it is done. Under today’s regulations, you cannot build on the foundations that remain. We are being asked to build houses and replace blockwork, with a higher density block than we were using, on top of an existing foundation. Engineers will not sign off on it. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, spoke about accountability.”
“Significant cost increases across our supply chain continue to impact operations, compounded by rising wage costs, heightened regulatory requirements, and the implications of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The upcoming phase-out of free CO2 allowances, effective from 1 January 2026, will further intensify these challenges. As a direct consequence Roadstone Ltd. must inform all customers of our intention to increase our prices on 1st January 2026. Guess how much it is increasing its prices? It is increasing them by 8%. The Government is saying it is allowing 10% of an increase in costs. I can speak from my own experience. I am on site in the mornings at 7 a.m. I was on site this morning before I came here. I had two site meetings before I arrived up here today. I am on site meeting engineers and different people.”
“I welcome any additions to the scheme but the scheme is not right. The scheme we are talking about includes counties Limerick, Clare, Sligo, Donegal and Mayo and other areas. The latest data shows that 3,022 homeowners are at various stages of the scheme. Of those, 326 applicants have completed remediation works with a further 1,057 applicants having notified their relevant local authority. I welcome the 10% increase. I would like to read from a letter. As everyone knows - if they do not, they will now - I am in construction and have been for all my life. Block laying is my game. I know what I am talking about. Today I received a letter from Roadstone, a CRH company. It is addressed to me, so it is for me to read out: Dear Customer, Roadstone has faced sustained inflationary pressures over the past year.”
“A letter was sent from Revenue's VAT interpretation and litigation branch of its taxes policy and legislation division to the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, stating that broiler-house chickens must be registered for VAT this year. Revenue is now saying they do not have to be registered but the Department of Finance is saying they do. A total of 83% of broiler-house chickens are on farms that are subject to zero VAT. If their owners register for VAT as another identity, that cannot be done under the one tax number. The Minister for Finance has created something mad. Now farmers are being forced to form limited companies. Revenue is saying they do not have to register for VAT but the Minister is saying they must do so. The letter was also sent to two members of the Department. Will the Taoiseach give an answer on this?”
“They need to protect and reward the ones who are doing right and to make sure that they bring those others before the law. The law of this country is the law and people are not above it. I am asking Government Members to hold these people accountable and reward those people who have gone through torture for their goodness, for bringing this and for all the efforts within their families as well.”
“We have shown the cases that came to court but should never have gone to court. Now there are High Court challenges. I am going to put it on the record here today that there are people within the Civil Service who are knowingly doing wrong, and when the Government sees such cases going to the High Court and being lost, the Government can sit there in shame. The Government has a chance now to do right by having a vote of conscience - an open vote by Government. The Taoiseach walked in here a minute ago and I believe he walked out again. I respect that because there were ten minutes to go before Leaders' Questions, but he is here. I am asking Government Members to look up at the Gallery and think of their children and families when they vote on this tonight and that they knowingly are protecting civil servants who are doing wrong.”
“However, there are no laws for what is happening here, from Tusla to the fire service and the county councils. I read about a case today that had been going on since 2019 where the judge made a statement on the case that there was no evidence from the local authority, yet it used and abused the privilege of taxpayers' money and of the Government to bring this matter to court knowing that it had not the evidence and wanted to get a criminal conviction against somebody because someone else came up with some idea that they wanted to bring it to court. That is wrong. If somebody does something wrong, they are brought to court and held accountable. That is Meath County Council. I have it in Limerick County Council. I have it in Cork. I have six or seven county councils at the moment.”
“I am asking the Government to withdraw its amendment. I am asking every Deputy in this House on the side of Government to withdraw it and do the right thing. I am not asking to put good civil servants at risk. I am asking the Government, by law, to bring the civil servants to justice and stop the rot. Millions of euro have been spent in cover-ups because they are afraid of the law. What is wrong with putting your hands and saying you have done wrong? There will be people who make allegations and submissions to say there is wrong being done to them. It is within the law that if people wrongfully make allegations, those can be dealt with, and rightly so. People who bring false allegations need to be dealt with as well but the laws are there for that.”
“That investigation has been going on since 2018 and now it has gone back to the UK to show them the full paperwork that was not disclosed. The Government wants to protect people under the whistleblowers law and say they are being protected, but they are not. I know her family, Ann and Jimmy. I was at their wedding, and the Government is here putting in an amendment to "protect" them. That is wrong. We have people in the Garda service who saw wrongdoing, and what does the Government do? It protects the people who have done wrong instead of rewarding those who are doing good and the people who are trying to improve to make sure that they are lawful and right. The Government is there to protect them. In all conscience, none of them would tell their children to keep doing wrong and we will protect them.”
“They know it is wrong to protect people in the Civil Service who are doing wrong outside of their remit. This is what we are asking the Government to address. Every one of the colleagues here on the Opposition benches spoke on this today. There were people who had tears in their eyes from what they were telling the House was happening, yet the Government brought 20 minutes of reading that script to the table. Jessica Sheedy, in 2018, died in UHL and only for the whistleblowers, that same management would be in place today and we would not be correcting the past. We have a new management there. It is trying its best to repair the damage that was done. A girl died under someone who should have never been allowed to operate in the first place because somebody withheld paperwork.”
“This is a responsibility of the persons that started this and I am not asking the Minister to break the law. A review of the submission of the EU directive shows that 50% of all submissions came from Ireland and the Government is not listening. I have had people from that side of the House stand up here and say we are right. I will watch how every one of them votes this evening. I am asking the Government to have an open vote in recognition of these whistleblowers here today. I am asking every Government Member for a vote of conscience. That is something that is within the remit of Government. How many of them will sleep tonight if they vote under our whip system today on an amendment that the Government is bringing to this? It is wrong.”
“If they are knowingly breaking the law, you should not protect them by using public funds to defend ultra vires actions, except where a genuine good-faith error can be demonstrated. This House has a duty to ensure that State power is exercised lawfully and transparently and that when it is abused, responsibility does not fall on the taxpayer or on an innocent family, but on those who misused that power. We can go across all the Civil Service and there are civil servants doing brilliant work. They are doing good work, they are doing responsible work and they are helping. We have a minority that have abused their power, but they also were in positions that they also abused the power on people that were in job descriptions under them to follow it on and keep this thing going.”
“Before I start off, I thank John Campbell, Mark Nolan, Emma Corrigan, my colleagues here in Independent Ireland and, most of all, the whistleblowers who gave us the details and information on this to make sure that we could bring a Private Members' Bill to the Government on which it is after delivering 20 minutes of waffle outside of what we were talking about. I want to make quite clear what we are looking for is a review of the statutory protections afforded to civil servants and - this is where the Deputies from that side of the House have to listen - a clear mechanism for professional accountability when officials act outside of their remit, not within their remit. Therefore, if they are doing things right, give them 100% protection. If they are doing things wrong, they are breaking the law and you should not give them protection.”
“If we continue to indemnify officials who knowingly act outside the law or fail to carry out their duties properly and fairly, this will incentivise future abuse of authorities and destroy innocent families, businesses and communities. For absolute clarity, nothing in what I am proposing would weaken the public right to take legal action against the local authority. People must always retain the fundamental right. These reforms simply end an automatic use of taxpayers' money to defend officials who knowingly exceed or misuse their lawful powers. Therefore, I am calling for a review of the statutory protections afforded to civil servants, a clear mechanism for professional accountability when officials act outside their remit and an end to the using of public funds to defend ultra vires actions.”
“Civil servants are protected when they act within the scope of their lawful authority. When officials go beyond their remit, however, misapplying, construing or effectively manufacturing legislation or obligations that do not exist and refuse to provide a legal basis for their actions when asked, they are no longer acting for the State. This is the most important thing. They are knowingly making legislation themselves, but they are not acting within the lawful work they are permitted to do. They are acting as individuals and they should be held individually accountable. Taxpayers should not be footing the bill to defend ultra vires conduct. Public funds must never be used for wrongdoing or to encourage behaviour that undermines confidence in our instruments.”
“In the court case, the presiding judge stated that Meath County Council did not deal with the matters appropriately, that she could not answer positively regarding the submission and that the individual had been treated very badly for a very long period. Such remarks from the Bench are rare and they point out the serious breakdown in proper administration standards. This raises a fundamental issue. Civil servants are protected when they act within the scope of their lawful authority. This is where it is going to become very important for people to watch this and for civil servants to watch this as well. I am going to read this again just to make sure that all civil servants understand the law. It outdates any constitutions or Acts. This is law. It is the law of the land and this is what they have to work to.”
“These failures occurred in the authorisation and oversight of a waste facility beside an airfield in County Meath, where proper procedures were not followed and warnings from the State bodies, professionals and the airfield owner were disregarded. The consequences were devastating for a unique and well-established property and family business, with a long-standing legacy effectively destroyed. The situation escalated further when the council pursued criminal convictions against an innocent member of the family without a defence or support of the allegations. For absolute clarity, nothing in what I am proposing would weaken the public right to a legal action against the local authority.”
“I rise today to address a matter of public concern, the misuse of public powers by officials acting outside of their lawful remit and the misuse of taxpayers' money to shield such behaviour. I want to bring to the attention of the House a case involving Meath County Council, where significant procedural failures have been highlighted to me. I have also received confirmation regarding other State authorities and genuine concerns. These include instances where important health and safety issues were raised and ignored. Instead of addressing those concerns, public funds are now being used to silence the whistleblowers who correctly identified both the procedural failures and the associated risks, such as using public funds to place criminal records on innocent individuals who are highlighting the wrongs.”
“I have a list of whistleblowers. We have Maurice McCabe, who is in the Gallery, and An Garda Síochána; Noel McGree and the Irish Prison Service; Yvonne O'Rourke and the Defence Forces; John Barrett and An Garda Síochána; and Ciarán Kenneally and Tusla. There are many more from local authorities across this country. We are not here today to punish people in the Civil Service who are doing the right thing. Many people in all those agencies, in the Civil Service and in An Garda Síochána do brilliant work. There are also, however, always a small few who use their position outside the remit of their work, and then expect their Departments to cover them when it comes to the law. This is where we have got to stop it. I am going to read out one of these cases. It has already gone through the courts and already been finished.”
“I am not going to soften this. We have a national disgrace on our hands. Ireland claims to protect whistleblowers, but what we actually do is destroy them. The Minister of State knows it, I know it, and the public know it. We bring laws and pat ourselves on the back and then the State turns around and crushes the very people who tried to protect us. Today, I am saying, "Not any more; not on our watch." Under legislation endorsed by this House, whistleblowers are being punished for doing the right thing. We are supposed to be the ones defending these people, but look what actually happens in this country. They speak up, report wrongdoings and act in the public's interest, and the State responds with the three Ds: delay, deny, destroy. This was reported and called out by The Irish Times . This is across all of the Civil Service.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: acknowledges that: — the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, as amended, was enacted to give effect to the European Union's Whistleblowing Directive and to protect persons who, in good faith, report wrongdoing in the public interest; — despite these statutory protections, numerous whistleblowers have faced retaliation, career destruction, delay or suppression of their disclosures through misuse of process, non-investigation, or coercive confidentiality agreements; — the persistent failure of State bodies and prescribed authorities to investigate credible disclosures in a timely and transparent manner constitutes a denial of justice, a breach of Ireland's obligations under Articles 10 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and a gross abuse of administrative power; — the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) within the public service has had the effect of silencing victims of wrongdoing, concealing public malfeasance, and undermining the deterrent effect of whistleblowing law; — the absence of enforceable personal sanctions for officials who obstruct investigations, destroy evidence, or delay disclosure processes has eroded confidence in the rule of law and in Ireland's commitment to transparency and integrity; and — comparative evidence from the Czech Republic, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand demonstrates that timely investigations, transparent publication of outcomes, enforceable penalties for delay, and, where appropriate, reward mechanisms for disclosures leading to recovery of public funds are essential to make whistleblower protection truly effective; recognises that: — the protection of whistleblowers is a matter of constitutional importance, engaging the State's duties under Article 40.3 of Bunreacht na hÉireann to defend and vindicate personal rights, and under Article 41 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union to ensure good administration; and — effective legislation must therefore, guarantee: — swift and independent investigation of disclosures; — protection against penalisation and coercive NDAs; — access to legal aid, counselling, and support; — enforceable sanctions for officials who obstruct investigations; and — full compensation for those who suffer detriment through State inaction or abuse of power; and accordingly, calls on the Government to: — introduce a Protected Disclosures (Strengthening, Enforcement and Transparency) Amendment Bill, to establish a statutory duty on all public bodies to initiate timely, impartial, and transparent investigations, require publication of anonymised progress reports, and empower the Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner (OPDC) to levy financial and disciplinary sanctions for failure to act; — create personal accountability provisions making it an offence for any officer or employee of the State to obstruct or delay an investigation, destroy or alter documents, or knowingly provide false information; — establish a statutory right of mandamus and judicial remedy, enabling a whistleblower to apply to the High Court to compel a public authority to perform its investigative duty; — provide full compensation, reinstatement, and exemplary damages to whistleblowers who suffer detriment due to refusal or obstruction of investigation; — establish a whistleblower legal aid and support fund to provide representation, counselling, and rehabilitative assistance to whistleblowers and their families; — amend the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, to prohibit the use of NDAs that restrict a whistleblower's right to describe wrongdoing or penalisation, deeming any such clause void unless expressly requested by the whistleblower with independent legal advice; — require all public bodies to certify annually to the OPDC, that no prohibited NDA has been used in any settlement relating to a protected disclosure; — mandate publication of quarterly data identifying public bodies that have failed to provide documentation, or complete investigations, within statutory timelines; — introduce escalating sanctions for repeated or systemic non-compliance, including administrative fines, public censure, referral to oversight bodies and budgetary penalties; — expand the remit of the OPDC to include audit and inspection powers, and coordination with other enforcement authorities; — develop a pilot whistleblower reward and recovery scheme, modelled on international practice, allowing modest percentage awards from recovered public funds; — insert an express statutory duty of cooperation and transparency, requiring all authorities to provide requested information within 14 days, or face a rebuttable presumption of obstruction; — empower the courts to award costs and punitive damages against public bodies or officials found to have acted in bad faith; — provide for independent oversight by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts; and — require a statutory review within three years of commencement, to evaluate the effectiveness of the new provisions.”
“I will conclude on this. I am offering the Government assistance. I am offering to simplify and to allow the Government to spend money with accountability to deliver services so that it can help the vulnerable people in this country.”
“If I could bucket it and give it to the Government, I would. I need it to listen to common sense. What I want here is accountability. I want to give the Government value for its money. I want to ensure we can provide a service like that the private hospitals in his country are providing. I was in a private hospital recently myself because I needed to be dealt with. I had to go to a private hospital. I have a machine on me at the moment to measure my heart rate. Do the Ministers of State think that, if I had to go through the emergency department and all of the rest of it, I would be here today? I presume my heart rate is reading fairly high at the moment.”
“To be quite honest, I do not want to be here if I cannot make a contribution. I want the Government to listen to people who are in business, who pay taxes and who make a profit. If I do not make a profit, the employees and subcontractors who work with me have no other work to go to. I am providing a service but they are also providing a most vital service, building for the future. I ask both Minister of States and all other Deputies and Ministers in this House to listen to people who have track record of being in business and who can deliver projects. Let me give the Government a simplified model. Let me cut the waste of money involved in going out to different Departments with different funding schemes. Let me give the Government that brochure to help it. It is about a standard procedure. It is called common sense.”
“I have employees. If I was in any other county, including Donegal, I would get paid an awful lot more for doing what I was doing than I am paid for doing what I do here. The reason I am here is to protect people. It is not about money. It is about protection and putting in place procedures using the experience I have as a taxpayer and an employer who has had employees all his life. We are here to protect people and to give the Government our experience and the tools to stop Departments wasting money. It helps Government to deliver. I do not care if the Government gets all the praise. I will praise it myself if it takes up a business model. That is what I am here to do. I do not need to score points with anyone. The day I cannot make a contribution to this Dáil is the day I do not want to be here.”
“We would then see our health insurance premiums coming down because the Government would be providing hospitals and care for people along with a strategic plan for the health of everyone in this country going forward. Why do I talk like this? I have been in business all my life. I have been self-employed all my life. What did I do for my headspace in my downtime last week? I laid a few blocks. Why? I am a blocklayer by trade. I know what I am talking about. I am also a businessman.”
“I am asking the HSE and the Minister to look at a model for one-bed, two-bed, three-bed, four-bed and up to 100-bed hospitals or whatever they want to do. That is the model. You would go to a contractor and say you want 50 or 100 rooms and what you want in it. There would be standardised electrics, plumbing, fit-outs and everything else across the board. That cuts out the preliminaries for which all the architects and engineers charge millions before we start at all. It also stops any changes mid-way through the projects. You get your hospital delivered but that same hospital can be dropped into Limerick, Cork or Kildare. These companies are providing the lands and a solution to deliver these projects.”
“The hospital will then look after the vulnerable people of Ireland. This is why I have come up with a model. Where a Department intends to build hospitals, schools and all the rest of it, there should be a brochure that opens up. The Department can say it wants a classroom to suit 50 people or an operating theatre with specific facilities. It would be standard and the Department would just have to open the brochure. It can be done for houses. There was a housing system before where you could open a brochure and say you wanted this house or that house. It allows you to buy a certain number of doors or a certain number of windows. It can be built affordably and on budget and you can look at the stock you need to deliver.”
“It will work a contract out with the State like you would do for a mortgage for a house. It says that it will build the hospital that is needed for the mid-west on budget and deliver it within two years. It is needed for the protection of the people in the mid-west, that is, our elderly, our vulnerable and everyone else. This company can deliver that project in two years. If the Department says it does not have the money for it, the company has said it can be worked out over 35 years and that the State can buy the building back for €1 at that time. It is the same as a mortgage. If the Government cannot deliver the projects, let someone else do it. The Government can fund it with it and enter into a contract. The company will then deliver it on budget and on time. The Government can facilitate that.”
“We had a private hospital built in Limerick in 16 months, from the time the sod was turned until it was finished. It was built on budget and on time. Our children's hospital has gone €1.2 billion over budget. Why is it that every project a Department takes on goes over budget even though Departments do not need to make a profit? They go over budget by 50%, 60% or 70%. Regardless of the sector, every business in this country, including those who are self-employed, that is accountable for its own funding, its employees, its profits and its taxes can deliver projects on budget and on time. A company has come to me and to other Deputies in the House to say it will build the hospital for the mid-west. This company does not mind if it is in Limerick, Clare or Tipperary; it will build the hospital.”
“I will start with a headline from the Irish Examiner that ran "HSE warns it cannot fill vacancies even with agencies as staff shortage crisis deepens". We are talking about health insurance and the rising cost of it. Why do we have such a shortage in the HSE? Why are private hospitals being built and providing a service efficiently, with efficient staffing? We see the 96-bed unit open in Limerick, which I welcomed. Then we see we had a strategic policy to look at options. Option A was another 96-bed unit, option B was expanding the emergency department and option C was a hospital on another site that could have a step-down facility. We came up with a consensus at meetings of all parties in the mid-west. We are united on it and are meeting the Minister tomorrow to say we want options A, B and C.”
“They are now driving down the middle of the road. There is plenty of room for biodiversity inside the ditches around the fields. It is the law that anyone in this country should be able to travel in it safely. Today, we are looking at somebody in the Chair who has driven trucks and was part of the haulage industry. For God's sake, the Minister of State is partly responsible for the costs of truckers and his Government is the cause of inflation in this country through taxes.”
“This is where it comes to the Minister of State's responsibility, biodiversity. People are now spending €1,000 a week replacing mirrors on trucks in County Limerick because the Government will not allow the sides of the roads and the ditches to be cut for a safe path for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.”
“The letter calls for a review of the tax on transport and states the compound costs have had a severe impact on cash flow and the ability to invest in newer, cleaner vehicles and that many transport companies are now working on a razor-thin budget. To give the Minister of State the statistics on this, from 2021, when I brought the truck in here, to 2025, the overall increase in the cost of equipment has been 40%. Government taxes on fuel are 89.56% up since 2021. Commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing, CVRT, has seen a 19% increase. Tolls have seen a 13% increase. The minimum wage has seen a 39% increase. Employers' PRSI has seen a 41%. These costs are on top of trying to keep afloat. We are wondering why the cost of living has gone up in this country. It is because of the tax implications as well.”