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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“Artificial intelligence is transforming our economy, workplaces and daily lives at an extraordinary pace. It offers enormous opportunities to improve public services, drive innovation and enhance productivity but it also presents serious risks that cannot be ignored. We all can recognise the benefits AI can bring to individuals, business and the public sector, be it through task automation, improved data analysis or increased efficiency and competitiveness across many sectors. However, AI is not an inherently positive force. It is a tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on the intentions of those who develop and deploy it. This is precisely why it must be properly and robustly regulated.”
“It is beyond time that we stamped out hatred and intolerance everywhere in our society. People cannot abuse others either online or in person and then call themselves decent. A person who does that is not decent. The technology and social media companies that are making money on the back of such abuse have a responsibility to ensure it stops. Some of the material we see online, particularly in recent times, should be of concern to all of us. It is not acceptable. LGBTQ+ rights are basic human rights.”
“Everyone deserves timely access to healthcare and services that recognise and respect their identity and to mental health supports that are responsive to their experiences. We must ensure that young people feel safe, supported and valued at an early age. I commend our schools and teachers on the vital role they play in fostering understanding, respect and inclusion. However, it is the Government's responsibility to make adequate supports available at school level and within school communities to challenge discrimination and to ensure all young people know they belong and that they are not alone. Pride reminds us that we must continue to stand together to challenge prejudice wherever it exists and to work towards an Ireland where all people can live openly, safely and with dignity regardless of who they are or whom they love.”
“We recognise the contribution of LGBTQ+ people to our families, communities, workplaces, our culture and our country. However, progress cannot be measured solely by legislative change. Last week, I met with a member of the LGBTQ+ community from County Mayo who spoke really candidly and honestly about the challenges many people continue to face, particularly in rural Ireland. Despite the advances we have made, too many LGBTQ+ people still experience isolation, discrimination and barriers to accessing the healthcare, including mental health services, they need and deserve. People living in rural communities should not have to travel long distances or face lengthy waiting lists to receive appropriate and affirming care.”
“I welcome the opportunity to mark Pride Month. It is a time to celebrate diversity and inclusion and also to reflect on the journey that has brought us here and the work that remains to be done. Ireland has made significant progress in recent years in advancing the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ people, including, as my colleague Deputy Devine noted, through the work of ICTU. We welcome Deputy Ó Snodaigh's legislation and hope it will be passed by the House in the next couple of weeks. From the historic marriage equality referendum to the greater visibility and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across society, these achievements are a testament to the courage and determination of the activists, campaigners, families and communities who have fought tirelessly for equality and basic human rights.”
“The people of Newport have waited decades for a wastewater treatment plant that is fit for purpose. This is absolutely critical infrastructure. For them to hear now that it may be 2031 before they get this critical infrastructure is absolutely not acceptable for families, businesses or community groups in the area. This is a beautiful town that has waited too long. I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene so that it does not have to wait until 2031 for something as basic as a wastewater treatment plant.”
“The other very important thing which came up yesterday was foundations. We have said all along that foundations have to be tested. For God's sake, Engineering Ireland has told the Government that. It cannot sign off on properties where the foundations have not been replaced. People cannot afford the gaps that are there. Deputy Doherty spoke about the gaps of €80,000 or whatever, but there are gaps of up to €100,000 that people are asked to find to pay for the Government's negligence on this. The off-ramping situation also has to be looked at in order to be able to speed up the testing.”
“My God, there is a human cost to this as well as the monetary and opportunity costs. Yesterday, Dr. Chris Browne and Professor Paul Dunlop - I do not know where we would be without them and their colleagues in Ulster University who have brought forward the science on this, because the Government has not done it - presented the cost as being estimated at €462,000 per property for 20,000 properties, which will be at least €9.2 billion. That is what is coming out of taxpayers' pockets to do this. There has not been any proper attempt to recoup some of that money from anywhere else, as was done in Wales, as Dr. Browne explained to us yesterday, where there was a division of the responsibilities and how the redress funds were set up. It has not been set up like that here but the decisions have to be based on the science.”
“I thank Deputy Ward for bringing forward this motion. It is no surprise that I and my colleagues are very happy to support it. It is very important we all work together to tackle this. However, the Government is still not listening; it is not hearing what is being said. That is the great tragedy of all this. Since we started this nearly 12 years ago - or more than that - on the Erris peninsula in Mayo, the Government has not listened. If it had listened, we would now have a 100% redress scheme and many people would have their homes and lives rebuilt. I cannot understand why it is inflicting this cruelty on people through no fault of their own. This was negligence of Government; it was a lack of regulation. Now, we see all kinds of other things where we are told regulations are too strict and we need to deregulate things.”
“The horrific cases that are coming forward must be dealt with. I am really tired of bringing up this subject and nothing being done.”
“Another child is 12 years old and has never been seen by a dentist through school. One mother told me her child has been waiting three years for braces. Another mum described the ordeal of her autistic deaf son who needed urgent dental care. He had to be hospitalised before being sent to Oranmore Dental Care, then to the Hermitage Clinic and then to Dundrum. The whole experience was very traumatising for the child and it ended up costing €6,000. That is just nuts. We need an action plan to improve dental care delivery and drastically reduce the waiting lists. We need a strategic workforce plan to address the skills shortages. The solutions are set out in the motion and the Minister needs to implement them. I am aware of an elderly woman for whom a dentist could not be found anywhere to provide the critical care she needed.”
“The evidence is clear that we must introduce a public-only dentist contract in order to reduce waiting lists, ensure children have timely access to preventative and corrective care and prioritise school screening and medical card holders. Patients should have direct access to hygienists and dental nurses within their scope of practice to reduce the waiting lists. A mother from Mayo contacted me about her seven-year-old son who had to attend a private dentist because he could not access public treatment. She was told he would need to be referred to Dublin because he needed two surgeries. Those surgeries would normally be done in Galway but the service was full to capacity. The treatment, she was told, would cost €4,000. That is completely unaffordable for the vast majority of parents.”
“I acknowledge the hard work done by my colleague Deputy Cullinane in this area. He has presented all the proposals and solutions to fix what is happening in dental services. Dental care is a critical part of the health and well-being of any human being but it is not treated as such by the Government, which has failed to address the critical shortage in this area of healthcare provision. Between 2019 and 2025, the number of dentists in Mayo providing care under the dental treatment services scheme fell from just 31 to 22. How can there be dentists available when the Government fails to invest in public services? All of those dental practices are full to capacity.”
“I certainly welcome that but there are so many families trapped in similar situations while bureaucratic processes drag on. We need an urgent decision on Skyclarys. Beyond that, we need fundamental reform of the entire medicines approval and reimbursement process. I am glad the Minister has started that but six months is a long time for some of these families.”
“Meanwhile, here in Ireland we continue to lag behind. We rank 23rd out of 27 EU countries for the speed at which we reimburse treatments for rare diseases. That is simply not good enough. Countless families in Mayo and many other places have contacted me directly, pleading for Skyclarys to be approved. One email came from a 32-year-old man who has lived with Friedrich's ataxia his whole life and has been in a wheelchair since he was 17. He and his family should not have to spend their days campaigning, fundraising and begging for access to medicine that could change the course of his illness. Friedrich's ataxia is only one example. Boys living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who were waiting over a year for a decision regarding givinostat only received the positive news this week that this drug would be reimbursed.”
“I was watching on the screens. There are over 200 people living with Friedrich's ataxia in Ireland. For those diagnosed with this devastating rare condition, this drug represents far more than another medicine. It offers hope for slowing progression, preserving mobility and maintaining independence and giving families precious time together, yet many families in Mayo and across Ireland are forced to watch their loved ones deteriorate while waiting for the decision on funding through the HSE. Every month that passes means a loss of function that can never be regained. Time matters enormously for people with progressive degenerative conditions. Skyclarys was approved by the European Medicines Agency in February 2024 and is available to patients in the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria and other countries.”
“I was really pleased to see this on the agenda. It is very important that we have this discussion in the Chamber today because it really matters. On orphan drugs and clinical trials, it is important to have that negotiation power for the leverage we need, and it is really important that we address this on an all-island basis and have an all-island system. We have been looking at this within the Good Friday Agreement as well in terms of an all-island national healthcare system. It is clearly coming through that were we to have an increased population for all of the island, it would make it much easier and much more efficient to have those clinical trials. It is important to note that going out from here today. I want to raise the urgent need for access to Skyclarys. It has been raised many times in the Chamber.”
“Homes, hospitals, schools and communities have been reduced to rubble. How many more Palestinian lives must be lost before the Government is prepared to include the services in this legislation? It has to scrap this hallow Bill, pass the original occupied territories Bill, including goods and services, and ensure that Ireland plays no part directly or indirectly in supporting Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and their genocide.”
“If trade helps to sustain illegal Israeli entities in the occupied territories, why does it matter whether that activity is a good or service? It makes zero sense and compromises all credibility. The Government cannot acknowledge the illegality of the settlements on one hand and then carve out exemptions that allow trade with those settlements on the other hand. The Government says that it wants to ensure that Ireland is not complicit in the occupation of Palestinian land. If that is true, then the services must be included. We are witnessing one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of our time - a genocide happening in real time before our very eyes on our phones and televisions in plain sight. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered. Entire families have been wiped out.”
“There is a fundamental flaw at the heart of this Bill. That is the exclusion of services. It is no more complicated than that. I certainly wish to pay tribute to Senator Black who showed leadership when successive Governments refused to act. Senator Black's occupied territories Bill set out a clear and principled position. Before the 2024 general election, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised the Irish people that the occupied territories Bill would be enacted. Instead, what we have before us is a watered-down version that excludes services. I do not know how the Minister can stand over that when 70% of trade between Ireland and the occupied territories is in services. If trading in goods from illegal settlements is wrong, why is the provision of services to those same settlements acceptable?”
“This has made additional barriers for tourists travelling between the North and South. It is something that has to be dealt with once and for all.”
“International visitors do not see the island as two separate tourism destinations. They see Ireland as a single destination. Our tourism strategy should reflect that reality. Major tourism initiatives like the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East and Ireland's Hidden Heartlands should be developed further on an all-island basis. Expanding and connecting these initiatives across the island would create a more seamless experience for visitors, encourage longer stays and increase spending in local economies, North and South. Again, an all-island tourism strategy must be matched by all-island connectivity. An unfortunate consequence of Brexit saw the British Government introduce the electronic travel authorisation requirement for international visitors.”
“So many local community groups are doing really good work in developing tourist attractions and walkways, for example. They have to beg and beg for public toilets to be put on the local beach and to be supported in that way. That is not right. These things should become more automatic that those services are there. There is little value in encouraging visitors to travel to rural Ireland if we fail to provide the infrastructure needed to support them once they arrive. It is obvious to us in Sinn Féin that the future success of Irish tourism requires a stronger all-island approach. Tourism Ireland was established as one of the formal areas of cross-Border co-operation under the Good Friday Agreement because it offers enormous potential to international visitors.”
“We need transport providers that communicate with each other and provide integrated information and ticketing timetables. We need improved connectivity. It is not simply a tourism issue; it is a regional development issue as well. When we match up regional development with tourism, that is how we are going to get our maximum outcomes for what is needed. As a party Sinn Féin understands that tourism policy and regional development policy go hand in hand. Better transport links help attract visitors, support local businesses, create employment opportunities and make rural communities more sustainable places to live and work in. These communities that welcome visitors must receive the infrastructure and services necessary to support increased tourism activity, such as public toilets, parking facilities and broadband connectivity.”
“I went to the bus stop to see what was displayed there. There was nothing whatsoever displayed on the bus stop in Castlebar. It is the small things like that which need to be addressed to ensure people avail of the services that are even there. I commend all the bus drivers. It was quite an experience. Getting on the bus to Knock, I saw that I could not tap my card. It does not take a card; you have to have cash. If you do not have cash, what do you do in that situation? Besides the security issues that arise for drivers who have to provide their own floats, that is not good enough in 2026. When we talk about overarching and high-level stuff, we need to get the lower-level stuff right. That is the point that I want the Minister to go away with today. We need the stronger links. We need to get the basics right in tourism.”
“They want reliable rail connections, accessible bus services, safe roads, quality walking and cycling infrastructure and straightforward information about how to get from one destination to another. However, many still encounter fragmented transport services, poor integration between providers and limited public transport options outside of our main cities. It goes without saying that we need stronger links between airports and ports and towns in tourism destinations. I will give the Minister an example. Ireland West Airport, Knock, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. I wanted to get from Castlebar to Knock to get a flight from Knock Airport. I wanted to use public transport. Just trying to find out about the bus service that connects Castlebar to Knock proved to be an onerous task in trying to do that.”
“It is very important that opportunity is taken. If we are to be serious about growing tourism, we must be serious about the connectivity and infrastructure that is needed to maximise the outcomes from the money that is invested in tourism, including money invested in advertising abroad to attract people here. Tourism cannot thrive if visitors cannot easily reach destinations, move between regions and access attractions. Too often, the Government speaks about promoting tourism while failing to invest adequately in the transport networks and public infrastructure that underpin the sector. This is especially true in the west and north west. We cannot expect regions like Mayo to realise their full tourism potential when transport links remain inadequate and investment lags behind demand. Visitors expect and need a seamless travel experience.”
“For counties such as Mayo, tourism is a critical economic driver. The Wild Atlantic Way has helped to showcase the extraordinary beauty of our coastline, our islands, our heritage and our communities. Yet, despite the success of these attraction, there remains significant untapped potential that requires sustained investment and support from Government. I am glad to hear the Minister talk about the oversight group and that the local authorities are part of it because it is often the case that the necessary joined-up thinking is not seen and we do not get the basics right. Keem Bay beach in Achill was named one of the best beaches in the world. That is really significant. There is an opportunity to establish a visitor centre to keep people in the area and to provide a better experience for them.”
“I ask the Minister to outline a clear pathway for Roxboro to achieve DEIS status in the short rather than long term. In the long term, all of these children will be gone and they will have been failed by the system because we are not targeting the investment where it is needed.”
“There is transition and integration funding that can be used for other purposes when we have extreme cases like this. The management feared that the inclusion on the scheme to which the Minister refers would lead to Roxboro's exclusion from DEIS. which has now come to pass despite every other school in its HSCL cluster having DEIS or DEIS plus status. The school management and I are really struggling to understand how a school like Roxboro, with such a significant and concentrated need, has been left out of the DEIS scheme. In a letter from her office to the school on 21 May, the Minister acknowledged the level of disadvantage experienced at Roxboro, yet the school is still excluded from DEIS. This is an exceptional school that needs help.”
“This all adds to the strain on the already stretched and struggling teaching staff there. I acknowledge the Department's efforts thus far to assist the school. The school was told that it would be added to the HSCL scheme earlier this year. However, that will not even scratch the surface.”
“I will outline to the Minister how Roxboro National School more than meets the criteria for DEIS status. It is a two-teacher rural primary school serving one of the most diverse and disadvantaged school populations in the country. The school currently has 35 pupils; 17 are from the Irish Traveller community and 18 are either in the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, system, refugees, homeless or living in emergency accommodation. Three children have moderate learning difficulties and 31 to 35 require daily special education teaching supports. Due to the diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds of the families within the school community, parent contribution funding is non-existent. There is no functioning parents association and the school is really struggling to maintain a board of management.”
“I have raised the unsustainable situation at Roxboro National School in Ballinrobe with the Minister's office numerous times since last November. I have visited the school, spoken with the management there and seen the urgent need for additional resources. That is why I was extremely disappointed to hear that the school had been excluded from the DEIS programme. I ask the Minister to explain to the school community why Roxboro National School has been excluded from DEIS and DEIS plus despite the obvious resource pressures that this particular school is facing.”
“I also see an opportunity in this regard. We have lost so much expertise within government. We need much more expertise inside Departments. Where we have young, qualified people coming out of college or people who have been unfortunate enough to lose their jobs, we need to be taking those skills inside government to build up the necessary expertise so that we are not continuously outsourcing and taking consultants on. We should be building that capacity in Departments, whatever Department it might be, right across government. This outsourcing that has been done for years has left us vulnerable to outside influences. Many things need to be done in this regard, rather than mere written strategies.”
“The other concern is that we may find ourselves in a situation, just like with Covalen, Meta and others, where people are suddenly without jobs. Imagine a young couple or individual working for such a company. They may have debts, but they will also have huge obligations, such as rent or a mortgage and all of those things. Those people may suddenly find they do not have a job any more. The Minister must speak to the Minister, Deputy Burke, about this. I have been trying to get through to him for months now about the need to have a plan in place so that when there is an announcement made about job losses, there is one point of contact for those workers. That point of contact would be able to advise them about opportunities for their start-up enterprises, the immediate supports that are available and securing new employment.”
“In the first instance, we did not have enough college places for people like her and, as a result, they had to train in the Netherlands. As part of their registration, they had to come back to do a placement in an acute hospital. They found out, however, that because they were forced to get their education abroad, no placement was available for them in an acute hospital. They find themselves being forced to emigrate and work in another country when we are desperate for physiotherapists here. There are too many blockages and I want the Minister to examine and remove them. I also want the Minister to work, as my colleague said, on an all-island basis. We need a labour force that covers the whole of the island. There are too many impediments to having that workforce right across the island.”
“I will set my script down and instead talk to the Minister about my biggest concern at the moment, namely, youth unemployment. It is at approximately 12% and could grow further. Graduates and their parents and families have invested in education to the point where they are coming out with four or maybe six years of education, but they do not have employment opportunities in their own country. Obviously, whatever strategies we have are not working when we take that as a measure of what is happening today. It is a huge concern. I want the Minister to specifically put actions in place to ensure those people can work in their own country. There are also too many barriers. I spoke with a physiotherapist the other day.”
“The Government needs to think and it needs to actually involve the end users of these schemes in the design so the Government's time, their time and our time is not being wasted. Just because the Opposition put up tangible, sensible ideas does not mean the egos of those in government should not allow them to avail of what is being given in terms of the design of schemes. Will they just cop-on in relation to all of these schemes and the planning that needs to be done?”
“I cannot understand why in the design of these schemes the Government does not take up the suggestions that are made from Opposition. A much better approach would have been a scheme like the fodder payment scheme paid a few years ago, which was a universal payment. That would have been the common sense approach to this to make sure that farmers in Mayo, Donegal and the more rural constituencies can avail of the schemes that are there. There is no point in having them otherwise. For instance, there are 250 supports available under local enterprise and enterprise support schemes. When businesses go to look for them, as the Minister of State will know, time and time again the administrative burden and the cost of accessing these schemes is impossible. It is absolutely impossible for businesses.”
“It is due to close today. The level of uptake has been extremely poor. The reason for this poor return in payment making is because it is not worthwhile. The scheme is calculated from the total usage from the year 2025, with only five months counted as rebate for 20 cent per litre. A farmer who purchased 2,000 litres of fuel is entitled to a rebate of just €166. A farmer would have to qualify for a rebate of at least €100 to be eligible to apply. This is equivalent to purchasing approximately 1,400 litres for 2025. These figures would not be reached by most small-to-medium size farmers, meaning they are excluded completely from the scheme. This happens over and over again. With the increased costs of fuel and fertiliser, etc., this approach to compensating farmers is not nearly enough to alleviate the pressure from rising prices.”
“Now is the time to do the planning and have the support mechanisms in place to contend with future shocks. We also need to recognise that long-term resilience cannot be built on temporary emergency measures alone. Businesses need affordable energy, functioning infrastructure, access to finance and certainty from Government all year round and not just during crises. The Government must move away from ad hoc crisis management and towards a more prepared and strategic approach that gives businesses and workers greater certainty during times of economic instability. I want to talk about the schemes that are being introduced. I cannot understand why the end users of those schemes are not consulted at the design stage of the schemes. I will give an example relating to the fuel support scheme for farmers and farm contractors.”
“It is actually quite shocking that there are not already emergency plans in place that can respond more quickly and more effectively during periods of severe economic disruption. Businesses and workers need certainty. They need to know that when extraordinary circumstances arise, there is a clear and co-ordinated plan to support employment and cash flow. We need practical measures that can help businesses weather crises, including targeted energy supports and measures to ease excessive operating costs, such as spiralling fuel prices. However, any framework must be fair, transparent and focused on protecting workers, families and indigenous enterprise; not simply providing blanket supports without accountability or oversight. The Government should be more proactive and less reactive.”
“This week, Knock airport will celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is a huge milestone for Mayo and the wider western region. I congratulate Joe Gilmore and all the staff and board of Knock airport. At a time when many thought it was impossible, Monsignor James Horan showed extraordinary vision and determination to make Knock airport a reality. He took the "Build it and they will come" approach and history has proven him right. Thousands of jobs, tourism opportunities and vital international connectivity have come to the region. Will the Government improve connectivity around the airport? The western rail corridor----”
“I ask the Taoiseach to do three things: to appoint a designated person in the Department of Health to help Mikey’s parents to work through the logistics of getting Mikey to the appropriate hospital and the expert surgeons who are willing to operate; to allocate the necessary funding to save Mikey’s life; and to approve the use of the Air Corps for transportation. We have a chance to save Mikey and other young people neglected by CHI and failed by this Government.”
“Mikey Henry Benson, who has scoliosis, as the Taoiseach will know, recently turned 18. I visited his home on Saturday, where he is in the loving care of his mum, Penny, his dad, Michael, and his sisters. He is a bright and happy young man despite the torture he has been through. Mikey Henry has been utterly failed by Children's Health Ireland, CHI, while his spinal curvature has regressed to 130°, crushing his vital organs. His parents will never give up. They continue to fight for his life. With the help of the Mater Private Hospital, they have now found a pathway to get the necessary surgery to save Mikey.”
“Sinn Féin rejects that approach completely. We support strengthening our Defence Forces, but our defence policy must be rooted in independence, multilateralism and peacekeeping, not closer alignment with military alliances. If Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael truly believe the Irish people want to abandon neutrality, it should be put to the people in a referendum.”
“We find ourselves in a staggering situation in which our own peacekeeping personnel are being sent from Baldonnel to serve with UNIFIL in Lebanon while, hot on their tails, US warplanes, permitted to use Shannon, are carrying the bombs that will be dropped by Israel around their base. That this is still being allowed shows complete disregard for our sovereignty and military neutrality. How can Ireland claim to stand for peace, diplomacy and international law, or speak with any moral authority to countries suffering the consequences of war, if we allow our neutrality to be hollowed out piece by piece? The triple lock is central to protecting that neutrality. It is a democratic safeguard and a guarantee to the Irish people. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael want to dismantle that protection without the consent of the people.”
“I thank Deputy Stanley for this very important motion. Our neutrality is not an accident of history. It is a conscious expression of our independence, sovereignty and belief that small nations can be a force for peace in the world. Our non-participation in foreign conflicts or military alliances has earned Ireland respect across the globe, but this reputation has been steadily undermined by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, which seem hell-bent on dismantling the triple lock and sending Irish men and women overseas to fight foreign wars. For years now, Shannon Airport has been used as a hub for the US military, facilitating the transport of armed troops and munitions to active war zones, including in the Middle East. This completely compromises our position of neutrality in the eyes of the world.”
“We have given the Government solutions in terms of cutting rent, banning no-fault evictions, accelerating delivery of social and genuinely affordable homes, or even expanding tenant in situ so we can deal with emergency situations like this.”
“After 30 years on the council waiting list, he has effectively been told to fend for himself in a rental market that is completely out of reach. I ask the Minister of State what I should tell this man. I only want one answer from him today. Where should he go and where should the thousands more like him go? I ask the Minister of State to look at me. Where do they go? I am not being political; I am asking him to tell me where I can tell them to go. The council staff cannot tell them where to go, except to Charlestown in emergencies and there is limited space there. There is no place for people to go when they are being made homeless in County Mayo and across other counties. Can the Minister of State give us a solution right here, right now?”