Rose Conway-Walsh
Mayo · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“The very open nature of the Irish economy and over-reliance on FDI and a small number of large US firms exposes an economic vulnerability that covers an underlying deficit of €13 billion. With an all-island approach, we can tackle that properly.”
“An all-island development agency is critical to this prosperity. Competing for investment from multinational companies, based on five interlinked pillars of growth, transformational regions, sustainability and impact as promoted by the IDA is necessary to compete on a global stage.”
“I would need much longer than three minutes to discuss the fiscal implications of a united Ireland, such is the depth and breadth of the work already done. I commend all of those who have done it. Leaving all politics aside, the economic benefits of reunification present unprecedented opportunities for sustainable growth.”
“This morning, workers at Aer Lingus woke up to the devastating news that up to 500 jobs will be cut at the airline, impacting both staff at head office and flight crews. By all measures, Aer Lingus is a profitable company, reporting operating profits of €282 million in 2025. Its parent company, IAG, has operating profits of €5 billion.”
“We need to encourage student mobility across the island. I ask the shared island unit to intervene to provide funding for students from here going to Queen's University and Ulster University. Regarding the data, the NI Executive should work with the ONS, HMRC and the NISRA to improve the data on tax receipts in the North.”
“Will the Government meet representatives of the unions, the Irish Air Line Pilots Association, IALPA, Fórsa and other unions, to ensure that impacted workers receive full and fair redundancy packages and that we have full transparency, while also committing to wider statutory redundancy reforms?”
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“Did the Cabinet sign off on the €430,000 salary associated with the strategic housing activation office today? People in County Mayo and across the country who cannot access housing or who are paying exorbitant rates want to know that. This is almost €500,000 in salary for a role that should not be necessary if the Government stuck to its housing projections and implemented the recommendations of the Housing Commission report. Earlier this month, I wrote to Mayo County Council to seek information about a number of social housing acquisitions in 2024. In Mayo, there has been a cut of 63% to funding for new applications for social housing acquisitions. This has a real impact on people's lives. By the end of 2024,13 tenant in situ acquisitions had been paused.”
“She refused to be broken by her incarceration and her deportation after the Rising and in 1919 she and a number of other female medics founded a children's hospital-----”
“As a Mayo TD, I wholeheartedly endorse naming the new children's hospital "Ospidéal Náisiúnta Kathleen Lynn do Leanaí". Imagine what it took for a woman to become a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons back in 1909. Kathleen Lynn was a republican, a pioneer, a feminist and, above all, a Mayo woman and a Killala woman. She is a huge personal inspiration to me and many others. Dr. Lynn was a member of the executive committee of the Irish Women’s Suffrage and Local Government Association in 1903. She assisted in soup kitchens during the 1913 Lockout, taught first aid to Cumann na mBan and served as chief medical officer of the Irish Citizen Army during the 1916 Rising. During the Rising, Dr. Lynn was the only woman to serve at the rank of commandant.”
“I urge the Minister to stand up for County Mayo and to adopt Sinn Féin's proposal to ensure fair representation for the Gaeltacht areas in our county. We are very proud and very dedicated to the Gaeltacht areas but we need to stand up and make sure democracy prevails there. The people living in the Gaeltacht deserve and expect nothing less.”
“Why is Mayo so under-represented in this Bill? It makes no sense. There is only one seat for Mayo on the board, which is a 50% reduction on what we had following the 2005 election. There is no representation at all for the west Mayo Gaeltacht of Oileán Acla, which is too small to have an impact on the Mayo constituency. All of this is being done to facilitate more ministerial appointments to Údarás na Gaeltachta. It is not right. We need democratic representation. Sinn Féin's proposals would provide for two separate constituencies in County Mayo, that is three seats in total, with two seats to represent Erris in north Mayo, one seat for Oileán Acla in north Mayo and not forgetting Tuar Mhic Éadaigh. We need fairness here.”
“Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá mar gheall ar Mhaigh Eo. Gabh mo leithscéal, ach labhróidh mé as Béarla. The Minister will be very familiar with what I am talking about. Recently, the Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community published a report that recommended that additional all-Irish post-primary schools be established across the country. I ask the Minister to look into why there is such a lack of progress regarding the application from Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Eo i gCaisleán an Bharraigh. I wanted the opportunity to discuss it with the Minister for Education, who was in the Chamber last night, but we ran out of time. No response has been issued to the Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Eo committee, despite the application being submitted in November 2023.”
“We must also use our own voice. We must protect jobs, businesses and our public finances and above all we must protect the workers and families from the reckless and short-sighted economic policies that we have been presented with.”
“There are long and mutually beneficial trade relationships between Ireland and America. From the ashes of Trump's tariffs there must be an open door for these to be maintained and cultivated once more. This can be achieved by increasing at this time our diplomatic efforts across the United States. The value of the relationship we have built over decades is critical. We in Sinn Féin will continue our engagement with US politicians, civic society and with our own diaspora. We do not know what the next move of this unpredictable American Administration will be and we can draw some hope from the fact that some of the Republican Party are deeply troubled by the direction their President is taking. What we can control is our response. The Government must ensure the EU remains calm in the face of disruption and provocation.”
“That means housing, water, energy security, transport links, research and development, investment in upskilling, in lifelong learning and in using the national development fund for what it was intended to be used for. We can never again ask the most vulnerable of our citizens to endure the brunt of economic hardships. The Government did this following the bank bailout. This should never be done again. Do not make the ordinary Irish workers, the disadvantaged, the sick and the elderly, Trump's victims. Now is the time for the Government to protect the interests of those living in Ireland and the young people we want to encourage to come home. We have to have housing and infrastructure for them. We need them here and we owe them. In the immediate term that means ensuring the EU is available to sit at the table with the US Administration.”
“As was said, the North-South Ministerial Council should be convened immediately. Our island economy is inextricably linked in agriculture and tourism and across the supply chains. Food safety and food security are becoming increasingly important as well. During the Brexit negotiations we, with our allies in the EU and the US, ensured there was no hard border on the island of Ireland. The same diligence must be applied in this scenario in order to protect the prosperity of everyone on the island. In the face of a potential slowdown in our economy, I urge the Minister to speak with his ministerial counterparts to ramp up public expenditure to address the deficits in infrastructure. There must be a sense of urgency and purpose if we are to have any chance of remaining competitive for FDI and ensuring the growth of our indigenous businesses.”
“I urge the Government to approach these choppy economic waters calmly and in the best interests of all of the citizens of Ireland. The possibility of differentiation in tariffs on the island further compounds the threat to our national economy. Clarity is required regarding the implications of the tariffs in the North under the terms of the Windsor Framework. There can be no economic hard border on the island of Ireland. Of course, if we governed our own affairs we would not be facing this discrepancy. We would be facing this hurdle in the full strength of our national economy rather than with one hand tied behind our backs. However, to mitigate, I urge the maximum level of engagement between the Government and the Executive. I welcome the engagements that have taken place so far.”
“These ill-considered tariffs by President Trump will mean that America will potentially have to increase its debt ceilings with all of the associated implications for American GDP. The only outcome will be the suffering of Trump's own citizens. So much for Making America Great Again - great for who you might wonder. So too would be the outcome of this State if the EU rushes headlong into the pursuance of counter tariffs. The escalation of prices of normal goods in an environment where people can ill-afford the most recent price hikes would be hugely damaging to Irish households. That is why we in Sinn Féin across the island have been calling for a measured approach from the Government aimed at de-escalating the situation.”
“Since President Trump began his second term of office the world as we know it has become a more volatile place. His early statements about turning Gaza into the Riviera of the Middle East through a policy of ethnic cleansing shows just what absurd thought processes we are dealing with. Combative statements dominate American foreign policy. That is now finding its way into economic policy. It is well known that Trump's imposition of arbitrary tariffs on products manufactured in countries across the globe will bring pain to the American economy and higher prices for American citizens. The EU is a massive trading bloc responsible for two thirds of foreign direct investment, FDI, into America.”
“The reality is that the L2LP and L1LP programmes need allocation of hours similar to the LCA programme where the school receives half a teacher and the number of students may be low, but the need is high in these cases. I want the Minister of State to examine what is happening.”
“I will give the Minister of State this document. It sets out what the issue that needs to be addressed is. The student I was talking about receives maths tuition for two hours per week, covering basic units like money, the days in the week and the months in the year. Is there any TD in the Dáil with his or her child at this level of learning in secondary school who would not expect that child to have an allocation of teaching hours separate to the general SET hours? SET hours are allocated to dyslexic students, for example, who can learn but may spell phonetically. Where it looks or sounds like a word, it will be fine but the student is still able to complete the content of the junior cycle and senior cycle schooling.”
“In February, I submitted a parliamentary question regarding resources for students with mild to moderate learning difficulties accessing level 2 learning programmes, L2LPs, and level 1 learning programmes, L1LPs, in mainstream classes. I received a reply but the real issue was deflected. The key question here is whether the Department of Education will allocate hours to schools in order to resource the teaching of L2LP or L1LP. At the moment, it is taken out of the pool of SET hours. I will give an example of one student in a school with eight hours per week of one-to-one learning phonics and alternative words. The reality is that L2LP and L1LP programmes need allocation of hours similar to the LCA programme, which is where schools receive half a teacher. The number of students may be low, but they are high in need.”
“I am taking this opportunity to call on the Government to enact this legislation but not to shirk its responsibility in respect of older workers and to lower the age at which people can access their State pension to 65.”
“At the age of 65, people have a lifetime of work under their belts and they should be able to access their State pension. The pension age ranges across Europe. In Estonia, it is 64 years and three months; in France, it is 62 years; in Slovakia, it is 63 years; in Bulgaria, it is 62 years for women and 64 years and six months for men; and in Austria and Poland, women can retire at the age of 60. Many other countries have flexible arrangements. Many of these countries do not have the economic prosperity which the Government so often boasts about. What is prosperity in a State if it is not used for the betterment of its citizens?”
“The truth is that the Government squandered two entire Dáil terms and did nothing to stop employers forcing workers into retirement. It must be emphasised that the report of the Commission on Pensions recognises that, in the case of people who work in certain occupations, like hairdressers and those working in construction and retail, by the time they hit 65, they feel they have done their shift. Many do not want, nor should be compelled, to work past the age of 65. While that is contained within the report of the Commission on Pensions, the Government ignores it. The elephant in the room is the fact that the pension age still needs to be reduced. Sinn Féin would do this. It can be done. Deputy Louise O'Reilly, who will speak next, tabled a motion in this House in 2021, which would have done that.”
“It will also enable workers to continue to enjoy the social aspect of working until they can access their pension. This will help ensure that workers do not experience isolation and poor mental health brought on by loneliness. All this is to be welcomed. Indeed, it is long after time for its introduction. While Sinn Féin will not stand in the way of this legislation, we fundamentally believe that at the age of 65, a worker should have the choice to continue to work if he or she so chooses, or to retire and access their State pension. If we cast our minds back to the 2020 election, this was one of the pivotal topics. People then wanted the option to retire at 65 and I believe people still want that option now. The programme for Government in 2020 established the Commission on Pensions in an effort to kick this issue down the road.”
“Unfortunately, this current Government has set its face against lowering the age to 65, which is a longstanding Sinn Féin policy. What the Government is doing with this legislation is in line with what Sinn Féin has long proposed. My colleagues, Deputies Louise O’Reilly and Claire Kerrane, introduced legislation which would have had the same effect in the last Dáil. It is the legislation which will bring to an end the approximately 4,000 people being forced out of their jobs each year, not because they want to retire, have to for ill-health or for any other reason but simply because it states in their contract that they must retire. This legislation will hopefully end the cliff-edge fall off in income and the indignity suffered by workers who have been forced to sign on to the dole for one year until they can access their State pension.”
“While I welcome the fact that at last the Government is acting upon the recommendations of the Commission on Pensions, which it established, and is introducing legislation to prohibit employers setting a mandatory retirement age for workers, I am calling on the Government to reduce the age at which citizens can access their State pension to 65 years old. People have not forgotten that this was abolished by the Fine Gael and Labour Party Government in 2013. It is my belief that Fine Gael may have its sights on even higher age limits in the future. We all know it planned on raising it to 68 by 2028. What a horrendous thought that would be for people in manual jobs, in particular. I am thinking of carpenters and brickies, service staff in hotels making heavy beds, the hairdressers on their feet all day and the kitchen staff.”
“There is no rail connectivity to Ireland West Airport Knock. The Government has failed to increase grid infrastructure to harness the potential of renewable wind energy on the western seaboard. Water and sewerage treatment plants, such as the one in the town of Newport, have not been delivered. The lack of housing is seriously impacting our competitiveness. Has the Taoiseach identified the shovel-ready projects that can protect us in the turmoil we are experiencing and maintain our competitiveness for foreign direct investment and real sustainable growth in our country?”
“In the context of global economic turmoil, investment in infrastructure is very important. In 2021, the national development plan set a target of 5% of GNI* to be invested in capital projects for the period 2021 to 2030. We know this target has not been met in any of the years so far. In 2021, the national development plan was underfunded by almost €1 billion. In 2022, it was underfunded by €2.2 billion, in 2023 by €2.3 billion, and in 2024 by €2.4 billion. Nor have the budgets been adjusted for inflation. This underfunding has led to real implications for infrastructure projects in the State, particularly in County Mayo and throughout the west and north west. We know this from the EU infrastructure investment index, which ranks us in the bottom 7%. The western rail corridor has not yet been reopened.”
“Mikey’s consultant appointment in Crumlin hospital has been cancelled for the fourth time. This means he has not seen a consultant since August 2024 and all the while his condition worsens. I ask that the Taoiseach work with the Minister to ensure there is an urgent intervention.”
“The Taoiseach will remember that on 4 March I raised in the Chamber the case of 16-year-old Mikey Henry, who suffers with scoliosis. Mikey, along with his parents Penny and Michael and his sisters Clara and Cate, travelled from Mayo to the Dáil last week and while they were here they met the Minister for Health. I want to sincerely thank the health Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for taking the time to meet the family but now is the time for action. They want an independent second opinion on his surgical options. His parents are requesting the help of a spinal specialist who deals with specific complex care along with a respiratory expert either in Ireland or abroad to get a full and thorough assessment on whether surgery can be done at this critical stage.”
“Has any audit been done on the impact of changes that banks have forced as regards behaviour in using cash? Has any analysis been done of the impact that has on voluntary and charitable organisations? This Bill is vitally important, especially to rural Ireland.”
“I welcome the Bill but also encourage the Minister of State to accept the amendments to it. Being from County Mayo and rural Ireland, and Storm Éowyn was mentioned by Deputy Doherty, I see at first hand the importance of a Bill such this and the Bill having a legal standing for businesses' acceptance of cash. I commend the post offices on the Trojan work they did when they did not have services from Eir and others and still did their very best to provide cash for people. This is also vitally important for elderly people living in rural Ireland who want to deal with their own cash affairs and in order that they do not have to hand their card, and trust their numbers and access to the whole of their bank balance, to somebody. It is vital they have cash.”
“We cannot have vibrant communities without a viable hospitality sector. I urge the Minister of State, in addition to this extension for electricity and gas, to consider a VAT reduction for food and catering businesses and other small service businesses. That was committed to by the Government but I ask that consideration be given to bringing it forward at this stage.”
“The Government needs to get to grips with this and to consult with executives in the North to ensure we have a whole-island approach to protect our island economy. While I welcome any and all business supports in light of the challenges facing our small and large firms, the elephant in the room at this stage is the Government's pre-budget commitment to lower the VAT rate on the food-led hospitality sector. That was done during the pandemic and a similar measure must be considered afresh and brought forward. This issue resonates far beyond employers, business owners and the many people who work in the sector. When well known restaurants and pubs close down, it is felt right across society. Those businesses make up an important part of our culture and are part of the social fabric of every city, town and village.”
“Media reports have indicated that SMEs are going to the wall because of huge energy costs. In October, the Government announced an energy subsidy of €170 million to provide approximately €4,000 to 39,000 hospitality and retail sector businesses. At the time, some in the business sector described the scheme as not worth talking about. Does the Minister of State have information on how many businesses have applied for and received the energy subsidy? There is currently extreme worry among Irish business owners regarding the imposition of US tariffs later today. We simply do not know the extent to which our economy will be affected. Even though the major threats at this point seem to point to the pharmaceutical and tech industries, any loss of jobs in those sectors will have a knock-on effect across the entire economy.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle. We are all trying to get ready for the announcement at 9 p.m. That is the situation we are in. I apologise for being late. I understand the absolute necessity to extend the 9% VAT rate on electricity and gas. The Eurostat figures released in October last year show that the average energy bill for an Irish household is €500 higher than the EU average. The figures are due to be updated in May and I doubt they will make for any less grim reading. We have the highest energy prices in Europe and this is crippling not only our workers and families but also our small and medium-sized businesses. This really speaks to what is happening in terms of our competitiveness and what we need to do to protect ourselves against the tariffs we are facing.”
“We want to work with the Minister on this matter, but he must understand that there is a legacy of mistrust. I come from a severely designated area where people now cannot get planning permissions. It is getting worse with planning permission refusals these days because something is an NHA or an SAC. Parts of Mayo, including lands around Carrowteige and the Mullet Peninsula, for example, are being actively depopulated. I do not want the same thing to happen again.”
“I listened carefully to the Minister's answer to my colleague Deputy Kenny. The principal issue of the categorisation of the land parcels still stands. The measure aims to protect peat but the classification of all parcels of land with more than 50% peat soils being subject to GAEC will severely disadvantage farmers across Mayo and the western seaboard. I heard the Minister deny that but 100,000 ha of mineral soils are being wrongly classified. Commission officials whom the INHFA met last week confirmed that this type of classification is not legally required. Will the Minister and his Department find a solution to this major issue? The Commission said it could be redlined and managed differently. Will the Minister submit an amendment to address these well-founded concerns?”
“We can do this but we need to concentrate on it over the coming days and weeks. My colleagues and I will work with the Minister to make sure everybody gets what they are entitled to. People put it to me all the time, as I am sure they put it to him, that this would be treated much differently if it happened in Dublin. We want equity for people in the west when they experience this kind of damage. I also refer to small businesses. A lot was promised at the time but no scheme has been delivered for businesses or farmers. Deputy O'Reilly mentioned the case of the oyster fishermen who lost €160,000 but other fishermen also have genuine losses. There is no point talking about insurance because some of these are not insured and, in other cases, the excess may be €2,000, which they just cannot afford.”
“We do not want them to be given anything they are not entitled to but the damage that has been done should be covered. This might relate to the food in their freezers, what they had to spend while they had no power or other expenses directly resulting from storm damage. I still do not have an Eir connection and, however many months after the storm, I do not know when it will be back. I have to try to make things work while on a Zoom meeting and it is impossible. We want to encourage people to work from home. We cannot expect them to work from home if we do not have consistency. I have also talked to the Minister about the generators that are needed. He will know Clare Island. We really need a generator for the health centre there. That is urgent and important. Lives depend on it.”
“The Minister will be very familiar with what I am going to say. I acknowledge the work he has done on this scheme so far but we need to tidy it up and sort out the inconsistencies. As my colleague Deputy Kerrane was just saying, some people are getting some while others are getting nothing at all. Tonight, I got a message from somebody whose roof was really damaged and who has been waiting a month and a half. We have to find a way. I do not know if the Minister has resources within the Department or needs to bring them in but we cannot have so many open ends with regard to the scheme three months after the storm. That is the humanitarian scheme. There are lots of things to be done. We need to make sure that everybody is paid. The Minister will want everyone in County Mayo to get paid, just as I do.”
“I am also deeply concerned about what happened with Mothers Against Genocide protesting peacefully on Mother's Day. I want to give the Taoiseach the time to answer as to why the escalation of this peaceful protest took place. Very powerful advocates on behalf of women and children are being slaughtered in Palestine.”
“People are still absolutely perplexed that the Army was not brought in, particularly to clear the trees and to clear the way for the workers from the ESB. We need to do much better the next time because there will be a next time.”
“The lack of urgency in the Government's response to the storm was quite bizarre. The storm was on 21 January, and the Taoiseach said there was a meeting on 22 January, but - and maybe he can correct this - warnings of the ferocity of the storm were sent out days in advance, yet there was no effective co-ordinated plan in the aftermath. I will tell the Taoiseach what I think the problem was. Whatever co-ordination there was at a national level, it did not seep down through. We will discuss this in fuller detail in our Private Members' time tonight, but what we need to make absolutely certain is that we have a proper, co-ordinated plan going forward as to who does what, when they do it and what the outcome of that is.”
“It was for the medical professions - for doctors in particular. It was for doctors from Britain. The doctors from Ireland are being fast-tracked there; why can we not fast-track our own who are living abroad?”
“We are talking about a welcome home for our diaspora, The Gathering and the céad míle fáilte, but let us get the practical supports in place to enable our qualified citizens to return home and fill the thousands of vacant public sector posts across health, social care and other disciplines. Again, I will go back to our need for an all-island approach to what is happening in education and third level education. We need it streamlined across the island. We need to get ready for the constitutional change that is coming down the line.”
“In that case, that person was paid less than her counterparts and is documented as an unqualified teacher. My question is: how can she be registered to teach with the Teaching Council yet be branded as an unqualified teacher? It just does not make sense. In October last, the Australian Government announced that doctors from Britain, Ireland and New Zealand will have their ability to practice in Australia fast-tracked under new changes introduced by regulators. Why can we not do the same here? We have such a shortage of human capital here to fill jobs. It is something we seriously need to consider.”
“I accept that CORU must be thorough but the problem is the length of time the process is taking. If it is a capacity issue, more staff must be brought into the body. I am also dealing with the case of a constituent from Mayo who has a postgraduate certificate in education from a university in England. She is registered to teach by the Teaching Council but this accreditation body has deemed her to fall short in philosophy of education and sociology of education.”
“This is a real problem, including in a North-South context. We want to encourage student mobility across the island, which is how things are progressing. However, there appears to be a particular issue in regard to the health and social care professionals regulation body, CORU. In 2023, there were media reports that qualified Irish physiotherapists returning to Ireland from Britain, having attained their degree in one of that country's leading sports science universities, had to wait more than a year for their qualification to be recognised by CORU. Esther-Mary D'Arcy, professional adviser at the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, has said we are facing the worst recruitment crisis in the history of the State, with professional practices screaming out for staff.”
“My question relates to the process of getting qualifications obtained in Britain recognised in this State, particularly since the cessation in 2021 of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The Minister's Department serves as the national co-ordinator and the national assistance centre for EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The directive provides the main legal framework to facilitate the mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the EU and EEA member states.”
“I did not have enough time on accommodation earlier. We need a change of thinking here. Student accommodation has to be an integral part of third level education and it has to be an investment. I do not think we need another strategy, even though I welcome that, because we have enough strategies on student accommodation to pave the way from here to Mayo. We need the investment. The effect of not having enough student accommodation on young people's mental health is huge. I am also acutely aware of the wider accommodation crisis and the cost of living for families. We see electricity bills and every other bill going up. The impact of having to look for student accommodation in the first place and then not finding any that is affordable is huge. It is putting huge pressure on families and students and is limiting their life opportunities.”
“I met with the students union there two weeks ago. There is no accommodation. There is not even any accommodation in the pipeline for that campus. The student accommodation that was there is being repurposed. Where university towns have potential but there is no accommodation, the university cannot expand in the way it needs to.”
“I also wish the Minister well in his role. I previously held the role my colleague, Deputy McGettigan, now holds and I very much enjoyed it. It is an area in which the Minister could make great progress, not least with regard to accommodation. There are serious problems with digs accommodation. That is why my colleagues, Deputies Ó Broin and Farrell, introduced legislation in the area last year. I take on board what the Minister has said about this being an emergency measure and not wanting to shut down any streams of accommodation. However, it is absolutely essential that this sort of accommodation be registered. I hope the Minister has been listening to the students unions and the great work they are doing in this area. I also have great concern about the Atlantic Technological University's Castlebar campus.”
“The first draft of the general scheme for the national cybersecurity Bill has been published and it has been listed in the Government's legislative programme for spring 2025. I welcome this but it is taking too long. We need to work together to address all of these issues.”