Ruairí Ó Murchú
Louth · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“It was hardly a shock to me and many others that he decided that the simplicity that was asked for by Sinn Féin last week, such that we would consider preparations for Irish unity, was not acceptable. Most people would see this as a possibility, even those who do not necessarily like the idea.”
“I welcome that. I have spoken previously to the Minister about the necessity of providing Mr. Delaney's report on the incident to Natasha and the wider family.”
“We will all be very interested to see what the new circular is. The Minister of State said it will be announced in September. A needs-based system is what we need. I would like to think the young boy I talked about would be able to avail of this. I will use him as an example. The correct assessments were carried out.”
“We just need to make sure that the circular is fit for purpose and that the young primary school child to whom I refer will be given the supports he requires. I will just finish reading from the communication to which I referred earlier.”
“We need to ensure that the engagement with Lebanon is ongoing. Are we happy with the interaction with the UN? There had been some issues relating to the coroner's court. Everyone needs to do everything that can be done to ensure truth and justice for the family of Private Seán Rooney.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for all the flexibility she allows in this Chamber, and hopefully that will continue as we speak. I welcome an awful lot of what Deputy Devlin said.”
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“The children are aged five years, three years and 18 months. She has secured a review by a consultant in the North. The cost of this for the three children will be in excess of €700. She cannot afford that. The appointment is on 10 June, but she will be like many others. Bernard Gloster spoke on the radio on Sunday, saying that those who wanted a third party review could get one and it would be paid for by the HSE. What mechanism will deliver on that? It is a requirement, as it is only right that the State pay. This is a mother who is not entirely sure whether her third child needs the operation or whether her two older daughters needed the operations they had. Another mother living in mid-Louth spoke to me about her child who was aged three when she was operated on in 2023.”
“We are all thankful to the whistleblower. The report that 80% of surgeries at Cappagh and 60% at Temple Street were not necessary should be shocking but unfortunately it is not. The Minister spoke about toxic behaviours in CHI. We have a history of issues in our health service, such as Michael Neary, Michael Shine, symphysiotomy and much more. It is a requirement that we deal with governance and accountability and also have a system that is fit for purpose. This needs to be done as soon as possible. Arguments will be made that a lot of these pieces of work could have been done before now, but we are where we are. We also need to examine the care of children and parents who have been through hell. I want to talk about a constituent of mine who has three children, two of whom have been operated on while the third is awaiting surgery.”
“What engagement has there been by the Government and its agencies with companies, particularly those in the med-tech sector and those in pharma, from the point of view of the difficulties they may already be facing on this? Beyond this, we have to get our house in order with regard to our homespun development. I also agree that AI has a big part to play in innovation.”
“My thoughts are with the taxi driver and the passenger with a disability who were carjacked yesterday in what was an absolutely disgusting attack in Dundalk at approximately 10.40 p.m. My thoughts are also with the lady who lost her life in a road traffic collision in Dunleer. The Garda has requested all the information people have on these events, and any footage, particularly dashcam footage, as being necessary and welcome. Our thoughts are with these people and their families. The Taoiseach has already spoken about the situation with regard to tariffs and he stated the EU has only really begun, at some level, its engagement with the US. We are all very glad D-day has moved from 1 June to 9 July but we are still dealing with a threat that is absolutely ridiculous and could be absolutely disastrous from a global trade point of view.”
“President Trump, with his Overton window as regards the riviera in Gaza and the freedom zones, has changed the narrative and has facilitated and allowed Israel to do what is doing at the minute. The Taoiseach spoke earlier about the EU-Israel association agreement. What engagement has there been? What does the Taoiseach think are the chances of having a proper review and dealing with that? That is what is required as regards Israel and the genocide it is carrying out at the moment.”
“Go raibh maith agat, a Thaoisigh. I imagine we have a very strained relationship at this point with the American Administration, and the European Union in particular does. While everyone welcomes the fact that the 50% tariff imposition is being put back until 9 July, supposedly after a really nice phone call - it must have been one hell of a phone call - what level of engagement has there been and will be? What is the plan for dealing with this? I get that we do not completely know. In some cases, President Trump threatens things and then walks back from them. However, 50% tariffs would sink the global economy and would be helpful to nobody, including the United States of America.”
“If Fórsa and everybody else could be there, we could get those workers doing really brilliant work. We could settle that and face in the right direction of providing sustainable employment and delivering for those with disabilities.”
“I appreciate the answer from the Minister. We all did considerable lobbying on the hourly rate and welcome its increase, which was not before time. The only way this can become sustainable to allow these people to offer the absolutely necessary services to those with disabilities is by putting a proper 52-week contract in place. Work needs to be done by the Department along with other Departments. We all fear when we hear about interdepartmental reviews but we need to ensure the part that needs to be done here is done to facilitate this while accepting that a review is an absolute necessity to offer the necessary service to those with disabilities. Following our conversation last week, and not for the first time, I have requested a meeting with the PAs.”
“Obviously, we all welcome the likes of PATH 4 funding. I suppose this is the whole idea in relation to course creation. From a capital perspective, too, there is the idea of making those reasonable accommodations that facilitate more people to be able to access further and higher education. Much work needs to be done. I visited several times the likes of some of the courses being funded. We have a specific course in DkIT that does a great deal of work with people with intellectual disabilities. This is about ensuring there are pathways for all our citizens. I spoke before about Fórsa having a pay claim in now but the WRC was unable to deal with some of the issues. Reference was made to an interdepartmental review that is required in respect of the work personal assistants do with those who need facilitation relating to a training course.”
“What work is being carried out to examine how best a person-centred support model for learners with disabilities can be developed across further and higher education? I do not think the Minister will be particularly shocked at me asking this question. An element of this question relates to personal assistants, a topic I have spoken about many times. I refer particularly to personal assistants working in further education colleges like Drogheda Institute of Further Education, DIFE, and the Ó Fiaich Institute of Further Education and the need for contracts for them. There is also a need to ensure the review of this work is carried out from the perspective of delivering for the students with disabilities.”
“I would hope there would be support for it but we need to get control of all those pieces in respect of climate change and biodiversity.”
“I agree with Deputy Connolly and many others that no matter how vital the work we do is - a lot more needs to be done by this State - in an age when we are surrounded by war and profit-making by those who make armaments, it is very difficult to see how we can get to where we need to be. I suppose we deal with those parts that we can have an impact on. I welcome the work being done in my local area, such as the community garden in Muirhevnamore which shares a space with men's sheds. It is a community facility that we hope will be able to get funding from the community recognition fund. They are allotments in the middle of a built-up estate in Dundalk. It is absolutely spectacular and we need to see more of that.”
“Some 63% of Irish bird species are on a list of concern, with 30% on the amber list and 26% on the red list. Some 18% of the native Irish butterfly fauna is under threat of extinction and a further 15% is near threatened. Over 56% of Ireland's native plant species are in decline, with native grasslands suffering the most. Less than half our marine environments can be described as healthy and water quality needs to be dealt with also. We could spend a long time dealing with water quality and that would also relate to our treatment infrastructure, but that is for another day. We know the significant connection between climate change and biodiversity. Many of us have spoken here on the possibility for Ireland to be a wind energy superpower. We keep talking about it but the State has not done the necessary legwork to deliver it.”
“Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an-suim ag an Aire Stáit san ábhar seo. Everyone has recognised it is an issue the Minister of State has great interest in. There is a need for him to have a great interest in it because we are not exactly where we need to be. In 2019 a biodiversity emergency was declared in this State and across this island, so it is an absolute necessity that we follow up on what needs to be done. We have a huge crisis, with significant declines in many species and habitats. There has been a 40% drop in the number of watering birds since the late 1990s. This includes mallard ducks, which are one of our most familiar water birds. Kestrel numbers have dropped by an estimated 45% and 23 of Ireland's 24 species of nesting seabirds are listed in the red or amber categories as birds of conservation concern.”
“Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss long waiting periods for many social welfare appeals. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss the Blackpool flood relief scheme. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the current shortage of school places, particularly for children with additional needs. The matters raised by Deputies Albert Dolan, Pat Buckley, Colm Burke, Mattie McGrath and Erin McGreehan have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss the impact of the development levy waiver on one-off rural homes construction costs. Deputy Donna McGettigan - To discuss amending the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 to expand the scheme. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss financial supports for alternative treatments for children who have undergone surgery for hip dysplasia. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss the increasing demand for a secondary school in Newcastle. Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the cuts to patient transport services in County Tipperary. Deputies David Cullinane and Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss funding for a youth mental health services centre for Waterford. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the tenant in situ scheme.”
“I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 39 and the name of the Member in each case: Deputy Claire Kerrane - To discuss reform of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the lack of a pension scheme and unequal terms and conditions under which school secretaries work. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the placing of vulnerable elderly sick people in nursing homes distant from their homes. To discuss the need to place people in nursing home care closer to their homes. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss the reopening of Castletown House and public access to same. Deputy John Brady - To discuss the future of the Greystones media campus.”
“We need to have clear rules and regulations and ensure the system is streamlined. We have dealt with this before. There are a number of issues with farmers constantly having to provide the same information for different schemes, sometimes to the same Department. It has to be possible to streamline all of this while making sure all the necessary negotiations are engaged in with regard to protecting the CAP.”
“I recently had a meeting with IFA officials, as I stated previously. A line I used before is that the organisation is very good at keeping the Minister’s feet to the fire in relation to issues. The officials had recently been at a meeting in Brussels and obviously spoke about their fear of cuts to CAP under Pillar 2. They spoke about the whole conversation as regards ReArm Europe, etc. Obviously, the argument needs to be made. Another point that was made – the officials were very decent in that they provided me with minutes of the meeting – concerns the idea that in the approximately two-year timeframe for the new CAP, the Government needs to make sure every step is taken to ensure simplification of application. It needs to be possible to apply for all schemes at one time.”
“They are going to exercise this right because they are failing to get the service from the State that they absolutely deserve and that is required. When my son, Turlough, was moving from primary care back to the CDNT, my wife said she did not need this as we did not need to put him on a list where he would not get any service. That is not to take away from the great work that is done by many people but if you look at the children's disability network team in north Louth, 53% of occupational therapist posts are vacant, as are 52% of speech and language therapist and 48% of psychologist posts. If you exclude administrative staff, there is a 36% vacancy rate across the board. I could go on but unfortunately, we all keep going on about the same thing.”
“We talk about a single point of access and we know that even those who are lucky enough to get therapies or an assessment still have to make the journey and deal with elected representatives. That is the sign of a system that does not work. I would love to think that we were getting the sorts of answer we would like on behalf of our constituents who are obviously not getting them. There are 902 people on the waiting list in Louth for AON, with 245 waiting over 12 months. That does not sound like much of a success. There are 15,296 children who have been failed. We cannot talk about success when, by the end of the year, we could be talking about 24,796 children not having received an assessment of need within six months. Government is talking about removing one of the few rights that people have.”
“Many people have said that it is particularly sad that Cara Darmody has to carry out a 50-hour sit-out outside Leinster House. Many of us have met her over several years. This is not the first time she has been up here or the first time she has been out protesting alongside her father Mark, on behalf of her brothers John and Neil, who have been abjectly failed by the State, and on behalf of all the other Johns and Neils who have not got the services they require in any way. The only thing there is going to be agreement on across the Chamber is that there has been a failure to deliver and none of this is good enough. The Government has to take responsibility for its failures. We have all dealt with these cases in our constituencies. I am dealing with a number now. Everybody has seen it before.”
“We have nothing but absolute gaps in them. We know from the figures for the end of last year that there were still 529 whole-time equivalent positions missed. We have abject failure, we have breaking of the law and we need to see delivery. It is absolutely scandalous that we are reliant on the actions of a 14-year-old girl to embarrass us into looking at this properly.”
“It is required for payments, which are necessary for the added costs of disability. We have all spoken for a long time about the single point of access. There are a number of things in this that are good. However, there is also an abject failure to have delivered upon what should have been done. During my time on the autism committee, we met with the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists and the Psychological Society of Ireland. Nobody had a discussion with them on the best means of not only carrying out these assessments but also delivering therapies. We have spoken before about this. We really have to get to the point of offering the therapies where the need is - that is, in the school setting - while being able to deliver some sort of service within the CDNTs.”
“We are all here and having this discussion because 14-year-old Cara Darmody and her dad Mark are outside on a 50-hour sleepout. It is nothing short of scandalous. Obviously she is doing this on behalf of her brothers, Neil and John, and all the other Neils and Johns. The figures were spoken about earlier. At this point, we are talking about 15,296 children who have been failed. That failure is to deliver on an assessment of need within six months. We could be looking at a figure by the end of the year of 24,796. As was said earlier, we are talking about a profound failure. It is all well and good to say that parents and their children can get therapies. We know that the assessment of need is required for parts of the wider system, whether it is school and whether you will be in mainstream or you need to be in a particular unit.”
“After that, I should commend the Louth ladies and the under-20s, who are through to the all-Ireland final. It was unfortunate that our minors could not do it in a really great game against Offaly. Rural housing is a major issue. Last summer, we were told that the draft guidelines on one-off rural housing were with the Attorney General for legal review. Given that we will be considering reviews of all the development plans at the end of the year, it would make sense for us to deal with the issue, publish the guidelines and have a proper conversation here on what constitutes sustainable living in rural areas. We have to facilitate those from rural areas to live in them so that we can sustain the GAA clubs we have just spoken about and, even beyond those, schools and all the other necessities related to living in Ireland today.”
“We have all stood here many times before and spoken of the disgraceful attack by Russia on Ukraine and its continued policy which is just nouveau imperialism. It is no different from what has happened many times before in Russian history and the history of many other states beyond that, unfortunately, as we know too well. We need to stand with Ukraine and against Russia but at some time there has to be peace. There has been some element of engagement. It is very difficult to talk about America’s engagements at this time in any positive way when we see what is happening in Gaza. We have seen the Overton window that Donald Trump has facilitated on some level around the Riviera and the freedom zones, which has allowed a scenario where Israel has moved into something which is genocide hunger, with minimal aid, and beyond that.”
“Then we are talking about a time of something like two years and eight months for those coming from other places. There are also fast-processing lists. Obviously, a huge amount needs to be done on that, so what are the proposals with regard to improving it?”
“I agree. Louth-Cavan-Monaghan does not work as a sensible divisional decision, and I get that the Taoiseach's answer is going to be that that remains for the Commissioner. It is, however, an issue that needs to be looked at. The Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, said here that the community safety partnerships are going to happen quickly. That needs to happen post-haste because we know there has been a failure to have JPC meetings, and we need that engagement. There are questions to be asked. While we all accept that migration is an absolute necessity and we have to look after those fleeing war and persecution, there is a question - and there has been for a long time - with regard to processing times. The time we were told for somebody on appeal was that it would take up to 15 months. That was coming from a safe country.”
“It is absolutely vital from the point of view of maintaining family farms. What we must do, first and foremost, is protect it. Beyond that, we need to simplify it and many of the other grant schemes because we need to ensure we have a sustainable system of family farms in Ireland. Anything else is not acceptable. Unfortunately, we have all heard the complaints from farmers that they feel they are doing a lot more for a lot less. We have to bridge that gap and make it a lot easier for them.”
“If this could be facilitated in some way, it would make life a lot easier. It would also mean trying to get our timelines together. I know it will not be possible in all scenarios but there is definitely scope to do all of this a lot better. Some of my colleagues have spoken about the ACRE scheme. The fact that there are still 10,000 farmers awaiting payment is a particular issue that needs order brought to it. That feeds into the wider issue which is that we have to get better in the application and IT processes and the work that needs to be done on due diligence. We probably have a better relationship and a better level of engagement with Departments and other agencies than with farmers. That has been a constant complaint for long time. We know why CAP is here and understand its absolute necessity.”
“Sometimes when people have tried to engage with the planning system from the point of view of retention, they have ended up with huge bills. We have all had dealings with such people and have tried to mitigate some of these issues but this is not the way things should be. This all needs to work a lot better. The Minister mentioned streamlining systems in the context of CAP. Farmers have said that they are fed up with the fact that they are applying for multiple schemes and are giving the same information to multiple entities at different times and on different systems. If at all possible, they would like to see a one-size-fits-all system. The idea they spoke about was that when a farmer applies for CAP, he or she could apply for a number of the other schemes at the same time.”
“They also had particular issues with water quality and the fact that Irish Water needs to get its act together in relation to its capacity goes without saying. They spoke about the TAMS grant, with 60% to be put in place to assist farmers with the provision of extra slurry storage. However, the grant was promised with a planning exemption but this was not put in place. Their fear was that the grant scheme would run out before the planning exemptions were in place. They also spoke about the fact there should be a facility under grant schemes such as TAMS to have a shed of the same size allowed for. There was also a wider discussion on the planning exemptions needed and the requirement for a fit-for-purpose system to deal with anomalies and legacy issues relating to sheds and farmyards.”
“They said that as much as we needed the Government to ensure it fought the good fight on protecting CAP, we also needed to make sure that, if there were necessary mitigations, the Government would be on hand. We know how important CAP is from the point of view of sustainability. They also spoke of their fear that there would be an element of quid pro quo as regards Mercosur. Both from a farming and a climate change point of view, no one can understand it. It is something that we must remain secure on. There is not much point in us maintaining impressive conditions and quality with our own beef and then taking in Brazilian beef that is not governed by the same set of rules. All of this needs to be dealt with. Farmers also spoke of other issues and it will not be a shock to hear that maintenance of the derogation was a big one.”
“I welcome Francie Gorman, president of the IFA. I had a recent meeting with Kevin Sweeney, the local chair, and a number of other IFA members. They are better than most groups at keeping your feet to the fire in respect of the issues. I thank them for that. Luckily for me, they were just back from meetings in Brussels. We are all aware that the idea of CAP is to ensure a stable supply of affordable food and that farmers can make a reasonable living. The Minister and I have spoken many times about that. It is also about maintaining a sustainable living for family-run farms, which are an integral part of rural Ireland. Their big fear is the loss of Pillar 2 funding. A serious amount of this possible future loss could be due to geopolitical changes and a rearmed Europe.”
“We need this legislation signed off as early as possible. There are questions about the membership, including membership of TDs and other stakeholders. We need to ensure we have something that is fit for purpose. I request that what Deputy Ward said be followed through on. There must be some consistency. In Louth, it has been a considerable period since we have had joint policing committee meetings. When the Minister has his work done, we need to see that. It needs to be resolved as soon as possible.”
“Great strides have been made with organised crime recently in my constituency but we need to do a lot more. It is necessary we have a fit-for-purpose means of engagement with the other statutory agencies along with the Garda, because sometimes the Garda ends up carrying the can for the HSE and others.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. The main thing is that "very soon" needs to be very soon. We need to see these up and running and I will put the question back in the short term because of the anomaly that JPCs, which did great work, are not in existence now. Would it be possible to have them in the short term? Is the Minister proposing any changes to community safety partnerships? There are certain things we would all like to see in terms of ensuring there are sufficient elected representatives and others on the partnerships. I also accept we need to have something that is fit for purpose from an operational point of view. We all spoke about the loss of Garda Kevin Flatley. We had a garda in Dundalk on routine patrol who was injured in the last while and we know of the huge issues there are with crime.”
“I ask the Minister about the establishment of the community safety partnerships. There is much in this we welcome, including the involvement of the Garda, the local authorities, the HSE and other stakeholders. However, there are questions about the membership, especially about which elected representatives will be on it and how they will operate. Local authorities have issues with who can be the chairs. The biggest issue is the timeline. If the Minister has any proposal to make changes, what are they and how does he propose they will happen? Could we not even have the possibility of the JPC operating in the interim?”
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of Garda Kevin Flatley as we deal with issues in relation to the number of gardaí. It is clear that despite the high-profile recruitment process, there has been no significant increase in the number of gardaí who will be trained. The current Garda Commissioner dismissed the claim by the Government that 1,000 would be trained this year, pointing out that the maximum that could be trained is 800. The Minister vocally endorsed the recruitment campaign earlier this year. Is it fair to say it is not down to a lack of applications - 6,700 or so - but a lack of capacity to train more gardaí? What are the Government's plans to ensure more than 800 gardaí can be trained a year? We are all aware of the retention issue.”
“When will we see the guidelines on one-off housing and the report that was supposedly with the Attorney General last summer? We know there is a significant issue with people who cannot get planning permission in the place that they live, particularly in rural Ireland. This is a significant issue. We need both a solution to it and a real debate on it.”
“We have all seen modern methods of construction, such as, for example, 3D concrete printing in Muirhevnamore, in operation. Whether we are talking about modular 3D printing or timber-frame housing, we need to see a plan for a significant ramp-up, while accepting that all of these solutions represent only a percentage of housing supply. Could we get some sort of detail on this matter? I agree with the previous speaker that we need to see real movement as fast as possible on the possible option of modular units in back gardens for the small number of people involved. We need to see the detail, and whatever we are going to do needs to happen as soon as possible because people are probably looking for more than what is already in the public domain.”
“I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding childcare. On Wednesday, 7 May, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.”
“Leanfaidh muid ar aghaidh go leasú Uimh. 50 in ainmneacha na dTeachtaí Ó Snodaigh, McGuinness, Quaide agus Connolly. Tá leasuithe Uimh. 50 go 52, go huile, bainteach lena chéile agus pléifear le chéile iad.”
“We know the issues with bogus self-employment. Many in the film sector talk about the blackballing that needs to be dealt with and we need engagement from unions to deliver on that. It is also a significant issue in the construction sector and probably affects our ability to actually deliver. We have all dealt with employees who do not have trade union recognition or a right to collective bargaining, and in moments of difficulty, they are forced into a situation of having to select individual workers from the point of view of being able to attempt to negotiate, sometimes against world class teams put forward by-----”
“It is hard to believe that, in 2025, we are introducing a trade union recognition Bill and that there is a need for it, but that is the world we live in. I thank my colleagues in People Before Profit-Solidarity for tabling it. We all know about the headwinds and all the other terms that are used as regards tariffs and the dangers relating to AI, and we all accept that. Unfortunately, however, we have a Government that has gone straight for the jugular on workers' rights. We were promised the introduction of a living wage in 2026, which will now happen in 2029 at the earliest. Pension auto-enrolment was meant to happen in September 2025 and is now paused indefinitely. The statutory paid sick leave entitlement was due to increase from five days to seven, but that has been delayed indefinitely. We were able to take that action pretty fast.”
“Obviously, it is about ensuring that they have a contract that works for them and also that we provide the service for those with disabilities and that we maintain them within the further and higher education setting.”
“I refer to the robotics apprenticeship, and I agree we need to have multiple pathways. A piece of work needs to be done by the Minister to make sure that is put into play. I make a call about the college of the future required in Dundalk. Beyond that, while there are many things we have spoken about, I bring up the issue of those with disability in a college setting, particularly those PAs who do work in the ETBs. I am talking about O'Fiach, DIFE and beyond. They have requested a meeting with the Minister and that must be followed through. There are issues in regard to the WRC, which was awaiting the review by the Minister's Department of PAs for those with disabilities.”
“We are in an unstable world, whether we are talking about tariffs or the impact of AI will have that includes many positives that will need to be utilised, although we also know there are dangers in the short term for employment in specific spheres. On that basis we need to make sure we have our act together. I refer to the Regional Development Centre that operates out of DkIT in Dundalk. We need support for these operations that carry out the necessary research in the college setting and combine that with a company and business focus. There have been real wins from the point of view of medtech, sports science and others. These are the sorts of things we need to see. I recently mentioned the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence. Again, this is the LMETB to the fore, answering the questions industry has.”
“The Tánaiste, when he was Taoiseach, spoke about the need for a cross-Border hub that could deal with some of these issues and make sure that they are on the political agenda. We know that there will be no difficulty engaging with the Northern Executive.”