Robert O'Donoghue
Dublin Fingal West · Labour Party · Ireland
“This is not an isolated incident. I hear it repeatedly from parents across my constituency. On top of that, the Government has brought back State examination fees. School transport charges have doubled, particularly for people going from zone 1 to zone 2, for kids in Rush and Lusk accessing the Loreto Secondary School in Balbriggan.”
“It is the airtex tops, the school trousers, the crested uniforms and the voluntary contributions that we know are not voluntary. Then comes secondary school and the bills get even bigger. Parents are expected to buy Chromebooks, laptops and iPads, often designated through one supplier at inflated prices.”
“There is an issue that has come to me in Dublin Fingal West, although it affects the country at large. I refer to the spiralling cost of summer camps and the financial burden it is placing on households earning lower to middle incomes. One parent told me that they were paying €160 a week for three hours over four days.”
“This motion could not have come at a better time. Last week, a constituent was on to me. She told me that her child had finished school on Tuesday, 30 June and the next day the first payment request from the school had landed in her inbox. That is not the end of it.”
“Education is supposed to be free but for too many families it no longer feels that way. The cost of sending a child to school has become one of the biggest financial pressures for working families. Parents are doing everything they can but they cannot keep being treated as the Department of education's funding model.”
“Horticulture is under enormous pressure. We are facing some of the most serious challenges we have seen in years, including increased input costs, energy costs and labour costs. We are still importing fruit and vegetables that we could grow ourselves. I live in north County Dublin, the market garden capital of Ireland.”
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“We need a fairer, more balanced approach, one which recognises local authority piers and harbours as an intrinsic part of our national coastal infrastructure. Ireland’s network of piers, slipways and harbours supports not just fisheries, but marine tourism, recreation and local enterprise. Tourism and recreation in coastal areas are now the largest contributors to employment among Ireland’s marine industries. Marine tourism alone accounts for 10% of our overall tourism sector, with over 260 enterprises involved in marine leisure, from angling and diving to kayaking, surfing and visiting our offshore islands. The Wild Atlantic Way has shown what can be achieved when we invest in our coastal infrastructure and build a world-class destination brand. However, this success cannot continue if local marine infrastructure is left to crumble.”
“The result is that the smaller harbours, where most of our inshore fishers actually operate, are being left behind. These are the fishers who use the most environmentally sustainable and friendly methods of fishing. They are the backbone of our inshore fishing sector. They deserve modern, safe, well-maintained facilities just as much as any national harbour. Fishermen in the Donegal constituency have been in touch with Labour Party representatives in the county, including representatives from two local fishing co-ops, to tell us that they feel the Department is spending the lion’s share of harbour funding on itself, promoting projects that local fishers neither want nor need, simply because the Department has to use up its budget or risk losing it next year. That is not strategic investment; it is box-ticking.”
“In Donegal, the Killybegs fishery harbour centre received over €11.2 million, while Donegal County Council, which is responsible for 155 piers and harbours, received just €450,000 towards projects costing an estimated €660,000. That is an unequal partnership, a drop in the ocean for our coastal local authorities which are struggling to maintain essential infrastructure that sustains their local fishing and tourism industries. To make matters worse, the six fishery harbour centres receive 100% of their project costs from the Department, while the local authorities receive only 75%, leaving the remaining 25% to be found from already overstretched local budgets or, ultimately, from local ratepayers. This is unfair. They should be receiving 100% funding.”
“I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, of €27.75 million for capital projects at Ireland’s publicly owned harbours under the 2025 fishery harbour centres and coastal infrastructure development programme. While welcome news for our coastal communities, the way this funding is being divided is far from equitable. To touch on a point just mentioned by Deputy McGuinness, let us talk about harbours. This year, €19.5 million, or the lion’s share, is going to just six Department-run fishery harbour centres, while a mere €4.3 million is being allocated to the local authority marine infrastructure scheme, which must stretch to cover every other small harbour and pier in the State. Let us put this in context.”
“Parents are driving long distances before and after work because no transport is available. Children are missing out on education simply because we cannot match capacity to need. People do not want excuses; they want solutions. They want a transport system that is responsive, fair and child-centred. I urge the Government to take immediate steps to overhaul the communications process with Bus Éireann, ensure direct accountability and provide the resources needed to meet the demand in the communities.”
“We are all aware that it is there because we all use it. However, what parents and public representatives need are results. We need a good communication channel and we need Bus Éireann to start replying to those emails. We need accountability in a system that works. It is simply not acceptable that elected representatives, who are trying to resolve issues for their constituents, are left for weeks without a basic response. It is not good governance, it is not transparency and it is certainly not respect for the public. Regarding school transport, the examples raised today from Fingal west, Kildare town and Rathcoole are not isolated. They are symptomatic of a wider systemic failure in planning and communication between the Department and Bus Éireann. Working families are being punished because of delays and poor planning.”
“Bus Éireann continues to refuse to provide a transport service, insisting parents should simply move their children to another school. This is simply not an option. There are no available places in the nearby schools, so parents are being placed in an impossible position through no fault of their own. The situation is unacceptable. Those are just three examples in a long list of school transport issues that have spread countrywide. Bus Éireann's rigid approach and the Department’s lack of flexibility are leaving families stranded. This is a clear example of how communications failures and poor planning directly impact children's education and parents’ daily lives. It is time for a practical, compassionate approach that puts students and families first.”
“These families are doing everything right but are being failed by a lack of planning and communication. The local school in Kildare town is oversubscribed. While a new school was approved as far back as 2018, it only recently received planning permission and construction is yet to begin. It is highly likely that school will not be open in time for the next academic year. The issue was raised directly with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, who assured Deputy Wall's office that he would personally look into it. However, all that has been received since is a generic reply from his office. These students urgently need a school bus. We cannot continue to punish working families because of poor planning and delays. I also raise the ongoing issue with the Educate Together school in Rathcoole.”
“I urge him to seriously examine the communications process between Bus Éireann and public representatives. It is not working currently. It must be modernised and made more accountable. I will turn to school transport issues in Fingal West. There continue to be multiple problems for children trying to access school transport. To be fair, when my office raised the issue of transport for Rush and Lusk Educate Together and the ASD students attending the school, with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, the matter was resolved in a couple of days. I acknowledge and thank him for his prompt action on that. However, the situation in Kildare town remains deeply concerning. Some 29 students who attend Curragh Community College do not have access to a school bus.”
“I wish to address the ongoing issue of communication, or more accurately the lack thereof, from Bus Éireann with public representatives. Numerous emails from my office and from colleagues I have talked to have gone unanswered. In other cases, I was even asked to provide written consent from constituents confirming I had their permission to contact Bus Éireann on their behalf. I did exactly that, yet weeks later there has still been no response. The current Oireachtas communication line to Bus Éireann is wholly ineffective. We need to consider a simpler and more direct system. Like the Minister of State, I contact many offices throughout the day for my constituents. I get an answer from some within hours. Some come back in a couple of days, but Bus Éireann communication is at times non-existent.”
“I want to raise the case of a child in my constituency, Dublin Fingal West. She will be nine next month. I have permission from her parents to use her name, which is Willow. She was waiting for two years for an assessment for speech and language therapy. Thankfully, she has got the assessment and it has been confirmed that she needs speech and language therapy now. However, her parents have been told that it will be another two years before she can receive the speech and language therapy. That means that she will be 11 years old before she can access these vital services. That is not on. At her age, it is already impacting her self confidence and her development. I ask the Tánaiste or the Minister for children and disability to intervene urgently to ensure Willow can access speech and language therapy and get the vital supports she needs.”
“I am taking this question on behalf of my party colleague Deputy Mark Wall so I might as well use the opportunity to give my constituency a plug in the hope we can secure funding for local projects that make a difference. My hope is that the new RAPID scheme will be a funding model that will also allow smaller grassroots projects for local groups, volunteers and small-scale interventions to take place. They need State funding to keep this going. It is much appreciated.”
“The Minister outlined quite succinctly that the RAPID programme has been really important over the years in tackling disadvantage and dereliction and breathing life into new towns. The previous scheme made a real difference in places like Athy, where that targeted investment helped communities deal with deprivation and improve local facilities. As the Minister moves forward with the new RAPID programme announced two weeks ago, I urge him to make sure that towns like Athy and Newbridge in Kildare are again included. Both continue to experience high levels of deprivation and could really benefit from focused community-driven support. These towns have great energy and strong local groups doing fantastic work. They just need the right backing from the Government to help them.”
“Will the Minister outline the details of the new RAPID programme announced in budget 2026? Communities have been eager to see renewed investment in their areas and clarity about how the programme will operate is really important. Will he outline the main features of the new scheme and indicate when he expects it to become fully operational?”
“We will have lost a vital part of our national identity and our food sovereignty. I am calling on the Ministers and the Government to act before another generation of tillage farmers says enough is enough. They need clarity on the supports they will get and I urge the Minister to give that clarity as soon as possible.”
“We cannot allow tillage to go the same way because tillage is not a fringe activity; it is a cornerstone of Irish agriculture. Those farmers, in turn, deserve support to keep those supply chains alive. When tillage was in a better position last year, the Government stepped in with a support package. Now, when the situation is worse, the response must be stronger. The programme for Government commitments were not conditional; they were clear, and now they must be honoured in full. Tillage farmers are not looking for handouts. They are looking for fairness. They are looking for recognition of the essential role they play in the Irish food and drink production industries and in the rural economy. Without urgent action, that role, and that expertise, will disappear and when it does, Ireland will have lost more than a sector.”
“Fertiliser costs, in particular, remain a major concern. Deputy Ó Murchú referenced the Joint Committee on EU Affairs meeting which I also attended. In terms of cohesion funding and farmers, nobody wants to be rolled into the same pot. We can all agree with that. That will be from 2027 onwards and will be another concern for tillage farmers. The Minister has promised to do his best and recognises pressure on farm incomes but would not commit to that €65 million but farmers cannot pay bills with promises. Farmers want action and certainty. They want respect for the commitments already made in the programme for Government - commitments to grow the tillage sector, to strengthen our domestic grain sector and to build genuine food security. We have already seen what happens when Government walks away from a key agricultural industry.”
“This is yet another example of a Government out of touch with rural Ireland, a Government that talks about sustainability but fails to sustain the very people producing our food. It is time to stop with the half-measures and short-term schemes. It is time for a real, long-term commitment to the tillage sector - one that matches the ambition and resilience of Irish farmers themselves. The sector’s representative organisations asked for €65 million in targeted support, not as a handout but as an investment in Irish food production, in sustainability and in our food security, but even this amount is only a sticking plaster. We need Government policy and a strong commitment from the Minister. Teagasc has already warned that tillage incomes will decline again in 2026 driven by poor global prices, high input costs and reduced CAP support.”
“When tillage land is lost, we do not just lose crops; we lose biodiversity, increase greenhouse gas emissions per acre and drive up our reliance on imported, genetically modified foodstuffs. That is the bitter irony here. Every acre of tillage lost means more imported feed, more pressure on water quality and more risk of carbon fines for the State. The consequences are environmental, economic and strategic. Investing in Irish tillage makes sense for our climate targets, for our food security and for rural livelihoods, but once again, this Government has failed to recognise that. The IFA estimates that the budget’s allocation for grain producers falls well short of the €65 million the sector needs to remain viable.”
“However, all the indications suggest this will be a targeted scheme, limited to certain crops, and far too narrow in scope to deliver the support our grain growers urgently need. The reality is that the budget 2026 announcement fell well short of what the Irish Grain Growers, and indeed the entire tillage community, have been calling for. The Irish Grain Growers has said clearly that this Government does not fully appreciate the consequences of failing to properly support tillage, whether through direct programmes or through fair taxation measures. It is right. As a result of this Government's short-sighted approach, the tillage area is likely to shrink in the coming years.”
“Now, thankfully, the weather has turned in farmers' favour. Ground conditions are good and planting has resumed strongly. Make no mistake, however, that had the rain continued after Storm Amy, many would have been making very hard choices. We are one bad season away from collapse in large parts of the tillage sector. Farm organisations want clarity on the details of this so-called new tillage support package, which, we are told, was confirmed in budget 2026. Let us be honest that farmers across the country are looking at this announcement with disappointment and frustration. There is growing speculation that the Government will offer a multiannual support package for the tillage sector.”
“Right now, growers are sowing winter crops and paying for expensive seed, sprays, fertiliser, fuel and machinery. They are making major commercial commitments, even as many are still waiting to be paid for grain harvested weeks ago. It all adds up to rising debt and pressure at a time when many tillage farmers are already on their knees. Cash-flow is tight. Credit is stretched. Goodwill from banks and suppliers has limits. As every businessperson knows, you need money to stay viable and right now, large numbers of tillage farmers are being starved of it. It is not enough for the Government to promise support. It must ensure that funds reach farmers' bank accounts quickly. Every week of delay adds to the financial strain and the risk that good tillage land will be lost, perhaps permanently, to other uses.”
“That event was not just another farm meeting; it was a cry for help. Farmers came from every corner of the country to say clearly that Irish tillage is in crisis. To his credit, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, attended that meeting. He heard directly from farmers about the fault lines that threaten the future of Irish tillage. They have been told that a support package is on the way. Why the delay? Why, with the autumn planting season already well under way, do farmers still have no clarity about the scale, scope or duration of this promised support? Will it be yet another one-year stopgap, or will it be a strategic, multiannual plan over the term of this Government that gives tillage a viable future? We must give confidence to the farmers who work in tillage and want to stay working in it.”
“The budget that was announced two weeks ago has revealed what this Government really thinks about Irish agriculture. Despite the pre-election promises, farming received barely a minute's mention across the two ministerial budget day speeches on 7 October. Within that silence, the story of the Irish tillage sector stands out as truly symbolic, a measure of neglect and a reflection of how disconnected Government policy has become from the reality on the ground. Despite the huge effort made by farming organisations, the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Grain Growers, Tillage Industry Ireland, Teagasc and many others to get Irish crop production back on track, the response from the Government so far has been painfully inadequate. Only a few weeks ago, over 1,000 people gathered in Naas for the tillage crisis meeting.”
“Every day he delays, another family wakes up in a home they cannot trust will not fall apart around them. It is simply not good enough for the constituents of Dublin Fingal West.”
“The review may be complete but families are still living in unsafe homes without certainty and without support. What they need is not another report sitting on a desk, they need action and they need it urgently. I have been addressing this through parliamentary questions since January of this year, and as far back as 2023 when I was a councillor, for three estates in particular in Rush, Lusk and Skerries. These families need answers now, they need a decision to be made and they need hope and solutions. I ask the Minister to take a fresh look at how this scheme is being run, cut the red tape, stop hiding behind procedures and show compassion. I ask him to stop putting the burden back on these homeowners who are already stressed by their homes falling apart.”
“I understand Fingal County Council, in line with section 57 of the Act, submitted a request to the Housing Agency back on 21 September 2023 for inclusion in the scheme. The agency then appointed a chartered engineer from its own panel to carry out investigations and consultations, including concrete block sampling and testing, which began in December 2023. Those tests confirmed what homeowners had been saying all along, which was that the properties in the affected areas are showing clear signs of damage caused by defective concrete blocks. The Housing Agency completed its investigations and submitted its report to the Department. The Minister has since received the report and the recommendations will be considered in the near future. People have been waiting long enough.”
“The owners cannot sell their houses, they cannot afford to fix them yet they are still forced to pay property tax on homes that may be worth nothing. Is that fair? Let us call it what it is: these people are not responsible for the debacle that has been laid at their doorstep. They did not choose defective blocks, they did not cause this crisis but they are the ones paying the price financially, emotionally and mentally. The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 came into effect in June 2023. The enhanced grant scheme is open to five counties - Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo - but there are other areas where there is clear evidence of this and people are still waiting.”
“I speak today on behalf of the constituents of Dublin Fingal West, dealing with the stress caused by their houses literally crumbling around them. Families did everything right. They saved, they waited for their homes to be built, took pride in their home and now they live in fear, with cracks going up the walls, through the floors and the ceilings yet the response from the Department is painfully slow. Its slowness to admit people to the scheme is beyond belief. Why the dragging out of the process, the endless waiting and stress levels going through the roof? The Government does not want to pay out to help them. That is what it looks like from the outside and what it feels like to those affected.”
“The recent Irish Country Living feature on Talamh Beo's Gorse Farm and Hinterland highlights what food security should mean in Ireland, namely farmers and communities working together to grow healthy, local food and keeping value in the local economy. These groups are doing that with little or no Government support. They call for exactly what is missing, which is a joined-up national food security strategy that supports local production, tackles food poverty and builds resilience within the system. We cannot keep relying on imported food or cheap prices that come at a high social and environmental cost. Will the Minister commit to backing these communities and ensuring that food policy in Ireland starts putting people and the planet first?”
“Can we have targeted supports for horticulture in particular and a dedicated mechanism that recognises and protects these vital small producers who keep our rural communities alive? I welcome what the Minister said in this regard. He is thinking along the same lines.”
“I appreciate the Minister’s response in regard to horticulture, but I want to return to the reality facing many small farmers after Storm Éowyn. These people are on modest incomes, with nothing in reserve, yet they are central to food production and rural life. Many of them suffered genuine damage, including polytunnels torn apart and crops lost, yet they could not insure those structures, nor did they qualify for many State supports. They were effectively left to rebuild on their own despite being among the most vulnerable in the agriculture sector. I am asking that future recovery and resilience planning explicitly include smaller family farms to ensure that when the next storm hits, they are not left behind.”
“Storm Éowyn exposed significant vulnerabilities in our national preparedness and recovery systems. Rural Irish communities endured prolonged power and communications outages while many small family-run farms were excluded from State supports due to restrictive eligibility criteria. We cannot continue to respond reactively to such crises. Will the Minister commit to developing and implementing a comprehensive resilience and recovery plan now to ensure rural and agricultural communities are protected when the next major storm event happens?”
“What is happening is not good enough. The families of Dublin Fingal West deserve better than that. What my constituency needed more than anything was funding for transport in order that people who are being stranded due to overcrowded buses and trains could get to work in the morning. It also needed funding for Garda stations like those in Rush and Lusk, which open two hours a week. In budget 2026, the Government announced nothing new. It put funding that was already there into a tumbler, added some glitter and loose change and called it new funding. The people the Government is supposed to service deserve better.”
“It could also have taken responsibility for the wages, which are 70% of providers’ costs. If it did that, it could start to bring childcare costs down to €200 per month for parents. On disability services, the Government has added more funding there too, apparently. It looks good on paper, but it is pouring money into a black hole that has no targeted supports. In my constituency, a child called Willow who is turning nine this month has been waiting two years for speech and language therapy. She finally had her assessment last month. Her parents were told she needs therapy, but the problem is she has to wait another two years to get it. Imagine that. She will be 11 years of age before she accesses any form of therapy. I have reached out to the Ministers for Health and children to ask them to intervene.”
“The Government needed to step in and give them some breathing space, but this did not happen. My constituency of Dublin Fingal West is bursting at the seams. Every day I deal with issues to do with housing, transport and a lack of public infrastructure. The same issues are being ignored again and again. Let us start with early education, which was the big election promise. We all remember the Tánaiste doing his best Ryanair impression by promising cheaper childcare for all. The Government announced a budget of €1.47 billion, and that sounds impressive until you read the small print. The money will be spread so thin that it is hardly going to make a dent. If the Government wants to know what it could have done better in that regard, it could have started the transition to the public early education system.”
“What the Government showed on Tuesday is just how completely out of touch it is with some of the struggles of normal people. It announced the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector and handed out rewards to developers, fast food chains and lobbyists - the well-connected who do not need a cent of the money involved. Meanwhile, the people who keep this country running by going to work and paying their taxes did not get anything. The budget does not tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Food, energy, petrol and rent are all up. Wages and social welfare payments are not keeping pace. The only thing that is going down is people’s sense of belief that the Government is actually going to do something to help them. Families are cutting corners on basics, yet they still cannot get through the month.”
“That will ensure digital funding continues into 2026 so Irish radio stays strong on every dashboard and digital platform. It is about fairness and giving independent radio the tools it needs to keep serving Ireland. With modest support, we will continue to deliver essential public service broadcasting in every county every day. My surname is O'Donoghue and I have relations in Kerry. The people of Listowel are a great bunch of lads.”
“I thank the Minister for the response. Independent radio is a trusted voice for 2.5 million people across Ireland. For less than 1.4% of total media funding, we can protect and strengthen that service, with just €4.5 million coming from the budget. It is good to hear €3 million will be kept ring-fenced in order to continue delivering independent, high-quality news and public service content. A total of €1.5 million is needed to safeguard our transmission system, which is a lifeline for communities when broadband or electricity fails, as we saw during Storm Éowyn, as well as a guarantee that 30% of the Sound and Vision fund goes to independent radio, which will come at zero cost to the taxpayer, which we both like, I assume.”
“What measures is the Minister adopting to ensure that independent radio stations, such as Live 95, which covers the constituencies of the Chair and the Minister, have fair access to funding in budget 2026, particularly in underserved rural areas? By what means does he plan to support current affairs and local news provision?”
“It is good to hear that the Department is seeing this as a challenge to the organisation because that is key in all of this. I urge the Minister to support the IPU in its calls for €15 million in additional funding for budget 2026. This is just to keep them viable. It is to stop them closing their doors. However, what they really need is a long-term plan. As the Minister outlined with physical mail deliveries, that is a challenge. I refer to the 2018 contract. The are paid by their transactions, but their demographic is getting older. That means that even with inflation, what the postmasters are taking in is going down year on year and, therefore, what they ultimately need is a long-term plan to secure the sector. If the Department is willing to engage with them, that would certainly be a good start.”
“Post offices are far more than service providers; they are the beating heart of the community. They bring people together. Therefore, it is not just about posting a letter or paying a bill; it is about human interaction. In rural towns and villages, post offices often serve as the only local retail outlet, frequently integrating with shops and newsagents. This makes them indispensable in providing everyday goods and services that might otherwise be out of reach. Their presence fosters both economic activity and social cohesion, while also creating a mutually beneficial relationship with surrounding businesses. Post offices are more than just part of our infrastructure. They are anchors of community life; keeping people connected, businesses supported and towns alive. They need continued support from the Government.”
“If we are serious about tackling health inequalities, budget 2026 must invest in making sport and fitness accessible to all. Sport is not just about medals; it is about health, inclusion, community and opportunity, but this takes proper investment at community level. The population in Dublin Fingal West is expanding significantly and is continuing to expand. We need to start thinking about this in terms of building communities, and a social inclusion fund is a step towards this.”
“Funding for sport and recreation must match those words. The Labour Party believes sport is about inclusion, equality and integration. Every euro invested pays back many times over in health and community well-being. That is why we want a community sports facility guarantee so that every town of over 5,000 people has a multisports facility with pitches, pools and halls for communities to use. We also need inclusive facilities with proper changing rooms for women and girls and accessible spaces for people with disabilities. The Labour Party wants sport and fitness to be affordable for everybody. That is why in budget 2026 we are calling for a social inclusion fund to support free or reduced memberships for gyms and sports clubs, as well as tax relief on fees and a lower VAT rate on gyms and activity classes.”
“The population is booming across Dublin Fingal West, including Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Balbriggan and Ballyboughal which have all moved from being villages to significantly sized towns over the past 20 years. Rush Athletic Football Club has not had a new grass pitch in the past 30 years, yet the population has tripled during that time. We need proper investment in community hubs so that people of all ages can access and rely on them. Last week, I received emails from students in St. Joseph's inquiring about better sporting facilities for the area, many of whom play for Lusk United or Rush Athletic Football Club. Ireland spends over €1 billion year trying to tackle obesity, but only €230 million on sports and recreation. The imbalance makes no sense if we are serious about public health, stronger communities and real opportunity.”
“Whether it is a child’s first day playing for a club, a parent or guardian going to a wet pitch to cheer them on or a local club volunteer who is always on hand to help, sport connects us. Even those who say they are not sports fans will always take a peek when Ireland is playing or an Irish athlete is standing on the world stage about to represent the country because they feel the sense of pride and hope that it brings. While the benefits are clear, the truth is that we must do more. In Dublin Fingal West, we have been lucky in funding streams over the past while for projects that are coming through like the Lusk Sports Hub, which we hope will begin next year, Rush Athletic Football Club's new all-weather pitch and, recently enough, the swimming pool in Balbriggan. Let us be clear:; it is nowhere near enough.”
“Sport has always been more than just a game. It has the power to unite people, create memories, give us moments of pride that last a lifetime and improve health outcomes. I was a soccer referee for 15 years, which was good for physical and mental health to some degree. Over the past year, Ireland has enjoyed some truly great sporting highs. Last weekend Shane Lowry played a key role as Europe clinched an historic win over the US in the Ryder Cup. We watched Kate O’Connor make history with silver at the World Athletics Championships. We cheered as our rowers struck double gold at the World Rowing Championships in Shanghai. These achievements remind us of what sport brings to a community and a nation. It brings us together, either through shared joy or shared heartbreak, and it builds lasting friendships.”
“We also need stronger legislation to deliver real collective bargaining, like that available in most progressive European countries, in line with the EU directive. This would guarantee that workers have a genuine voice in shaping their pay and conditions. Passing this Bill is about fairness and dignity at work, and respecting the contribution of workers in sectors too often overlooked. It is disappointing that the Bill is to be opposed. I welcome the commitment to publish the action plan for the promotion of collective bargaining in line with the directive. We know that in the transposition of any EU directive, it can be transposed at the high end or the low end. It is my fervent hope that the Government chooses to transpose at the high end.”
“Some €45 million in public funding has been allocated to cover this cost but, because of the delay and the volunteerist nature of the current JLC process, €800,000 of taxpayers’ money goes back into the Exchequer each week instead of reaching the educators and the good providers. This should have been implemented on 1 September. That is not fair to the workers or to the good employers who have engaged in the JLC system. It makes a mockery of the Government promises to bring respect and to support collective bargaining. That is why this Bill is so essential. It would finally end the employers’ boycott, restore the original intent of the JLC system and make sure that vulnerable low-paid workers get the protection they deserve. This should only be a first step.”
“For example, the early years sector is seen as having a successful JLC as the unions manage to get employers' representatives to the table but, because of the volunteerist nature of the process, every employment regulation order has been held up while waiting for employers' bodies to meaningfully engage. The first EROs only came about with Labour Court intervention. The third wage deal, which was due to take effect on 1 September, still has not been signed into law. Educators are missing out on their pay rises and providers, many acting in good faith, are already paying these rates. It needs to be signed into law as soon as possible.”