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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“We know the issues in regard to the ESB, whether we are talking about forestry or just those bits of the grid that need to be updated. Regarding the Irish Water issue, my constituency was not hit as hard as many others but there were people in places like Hackballscross who were without water for longer because there is a specific issue with that particular infrastructure. I have requested a meeting with Irish Water, which I hope to have soon, to deal with many of the problems, including brown water and the wastewater issues that exist right across Dundalk.”
“It is clear that we need to have something on the shelf that can be taken down when needed and would include an element of flexibility, which is absolutely necessary. There is a huge body of work that needs to be done to ensure we have robustness and resilience in real terms. During Questions to the Taoiseach, we discussed the National Emergency Co-ordination Group and the whole idea that there needs to be a review of how it dealt with certain circumstances and what can be improved in that regard. Unfortunately, it will take quite a while to get a follow-up from the Taoiseach as he has reduced the group by half. We have huge infrastructural deficits in Irish Water that will not be sorted through water charges. Such charges would be utterly unacceptable.”
“Many people have raised the issues regarding the humanitarian assistance scheme, including the lack of consistency, the understanding that certain things would be covered that were not covered and the bureaucratic nightmare it has been for many people. I say that while acknowledging the huge work done by the staff in circumstances that are all far from perfect. As the Minister said, it is a matter of getting the extreme weather event assistance scheme up and running and fit for purpose. We are aware of issues that have arisen following previous weather events. An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach is well aware of the issues on the Cooley Peninsula following the huge flooding there and how long it took to put a scheme in place for farmers. I was over and back at that time with the then Minister, Deputy McConalogue.”
“All this does need to be addressed but we also have a duty to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while wearing the uniform, sometimes, like Private Seán Rooney, while on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, operations. Has the Taoiseach an update on the engagement with the UN on the request made by the Dublin coroner through the Government? The Tánaiste made contact with the UN recently in this regard but is the Government any further on with the information being provided to the coroner? This information has been promised to the family. I do realise that the family wish to be out when the next court sitting happens. We all need to see justice for Seán Rooney.”
“Members of Mothers Against Genocide were protesting against the utterly despicable ongoing genocide. A number of serious allegations have been made. I ask that the Taoiseach look into this incredibly serious matter. Everybody believes this could have been dealt with better. We all accept that in this State, like many others, there are huge issues with regard to hybrid and cyber threats, whether we are talking about the impact drug cartels are having, trade tariffs at this point in time and telecommunications. We need to make sure there is a capacity review into how we deal with this. We also know there has been underfunding of the Defence Forces for many years, which has led to a huge recruitment and retention issue.”
“We have huge issues with water infrastructure, and while water charges will not be the means by which these will be dealt with, we need to make sure we put the correct resources in to ensure that we have something that is properly robust. We need to look at the likes of CFRAM, natural flood barriers and all those other necessary technologies that can improve situations. We also need to look at our schemes. The humanitarian assistance scheme needs to be looked at as do schemes to pay farmers or whatever, because we will have more of these instances of extreme weather into the future.”
“There have been question marks as to how prepared we were for a storm that we realised was coming. What we do into the future is about ensuring we have not only a plan but the capacity built into the system to deal with these sorts of circumstances, of which we will see more. Has there been a review by the NECG as to how the storm was dealt with and what we can do as regards ensuring we deal with these better into the future? Others have talked about the energy grid, water and communications. My constituency did not get the worst but many people there were out of action as regards communications and energy for long periods.”
“However, within pension systems and so on, there is a particular issue I will bring to the attention of the Minister that I have brought to the attention of the Tánaiste that relates to a very specific scenario around a defence pension. I would like to think we would find a creative means of dealing with a situation that is utterly necessary and humane. Beyond that, we have all dealt with issues in relation to those people who do not have 52-week contracts, such as PAs in further education colleges. It is an issue that is being progressed at the minute and actions are being taken but again the Minister and his colleagues need to be open to dealing with these particular issues.”
“There were a number of issues and it was not just in relation to the social welfare payment. It also related to pensions, to work and to many other issues, such as issues created by GDPR and so on. This is an issue where there is support across the board. We need to make sure we are as generous as possible, whether that relates to payments, backdating payments or criteria. I request that happens and I hope the Minister is open to working alongside the Opposition, particularly on amendments that will be looked at. The Minister will be dealing with a number of anomalies. When I say anomalies that obviously does not take into account the huge issue this created for people like Johnny O'Meara, my own constituent and many others.”
“Since I have come across this issue, it is one on which I have given people advice, in that unfortunately following the worst thing that could possibly happen, the State and the payments that should be there have not been. We need to make sure this is enacted and delivered as soon as possible while accepting there has to be a decent amount of due diligence. We need to look at the criteria to see whether there can be some element of flexibility or whether we can look at something that is somewhat more generous because a large number of people who have made a real, lifelong commitment to each other could fall out of this bracket. The scenario I was dealing with involved kids, and that obviously adds to the difficult circumstance people find themselves in.”
“Obviously, there is going to be much agreement. The complaint we have is that this an issue that should have been addressed a long time ago. In fairness, I will add my voice to what has been said about Johnny O'Meara and the huge work he did. Obviously, his Supreme Court case and action has brought us to this point. I make the argument that we need to find other ways rather than relying on citizens to go above and beyond. I, like many others, have dealt with similar cases. On some level, it is almost seeing is believing. Many of us got married on the basis that it suited and, in some cases, it may have been a bigger deal to one partner than the other but in modern Ireland a number of people who make a real commitment to each other do not necessarily go down that road.”
“It involves an absolutely brilliant piece of work, in an urban setting, that allows people to have allotments and all those things we like and need to see a lot more of.”
“Several groups got funding under the community recognition fund, which is absolutely sound, but there is an issue in that two applications made by Louth County Council were refused. When I compare them with others, I am not entirely sure why they were refused. I ask that the Minister examine them. They relate to St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas. The council is involved in long-term festivals. Louth County Council decided that the applications were legitimate and submitted them. It saw amounts of money similar to what it required provided in other areas. This needs to be examined. I ask that the community gardens project in Muirhevnamore be considered. It is for the next round.”
“It became apparent with remote working and the issues caused there. We need to deal with these issues. The previous Taoiseach spoke about a possible hub to deal with cross-Border issues and that needs to be looked at again.”
“We can be very thankful we do not live in those very difficult times and we are only too delighted we live in the modern age. While we are dealing with legacy legislation, however, we should also look at dealing with the legacy issues that remain. This island is partitioned and we should be looking in this House and beyond at making sure the preparatory moves are made by the State to do our part in respect of what a united Ireland might look like. It is up to Government to come up with some idea for a forum where this conversation could happen and then we would need to look at a referendum. Even before that, we have huge issues which need to be dealt with as regards taxation laws across this island that do not work properly. The Minister of State would be aware of this in the context of PayPal.”
“We had the Young Irelanders, the Fenians and those who followed in their footsteps. Whatever freedom this island knows is on the basis of what happened. This was also the period, in 1847 or from 1845 to 1850, of the Famine. We often talk about the wonderful Irish diaspora but it is always worth remembering how that diaspora happened. It came about because, in a land that could have looked after its people, they were not looked after. This was not only because it was under occupation, but also as a result of the neo-liberal politics in operation in Britain and the idea that market forces were far more important and things were allowed to operate as they were. Food had to be sold as a good and it did not really matter that 1 million people in this land died as a result.”
“The Act of Union was about Britain further imposing the power it had in Ireland following 1798 and the attempts by the Irish people to rid themselves of foreign occupation and oppression. This is about the whole history of colonialism and its parts, including subjugation and, obviously, rebellion. Deputy Ó Snodaigh and others have spoken about Daniel O'Connell. There was a whole constitutional battle relating to Catholic emancipation and the effort to remove the penal laws which then morphed into the Home Rule movement. I see that as an abject failure because, at the end of the day, the colonial power, Britain, paid no heed to providing anything to Ireland that was not going to be taken. Unfortunately, for a significant part of our history, that involved being taken by force.”
“This is an interesting piece of legislation. We are repealing the spent and obsolete secondary instruments enacted on or after 1 January 1821 and before 1 January 1861, as well as those instruments enacted before 1821 that have not been previously repealed. I suspect that many Deputies did not anticipate they would be speaking on this issue but, in fairness, it is not only a decent piece of housekeeping that needs to be done from a legislative point of view, but also a reminder of where we came from and the particular circumstances that arose. We are talking about legislation that was foisted upon Ireland by the British colonial power from 1821, which was literally 20 years after the Act of Union.”
“We all know there has been a deficit in spending as regards the Defence Forces, and that we need to ensure we have capacity as regards everything from radar through to hybrid attacks and cyberattacks, which we are all open to now. On the issue of tariffs and the dangers that are coming from America, has there been any initial agreement on how we and Europe will try to tackle that issue? We need to make sure we do it from the point of view of best supporting our own industries.”
“We know that the genocide is back in action to some degree, which is down to Benjamin Netanyahu and his colleagues in a really right-wing Government, with the support of the American Administration. I get that people in Europe come from a different place on this. However we have seen no movement whatsoever on the EU-Israel association agreement and the human rights conditions that are meant to be within it. Has there been any movement whatsoever on that? On the conversation that is happening across Europe about further militarisation, I understand this is different in Baltic states and so on. Has there been any pressure on the Irish Government in respect of how we would spend money if there were increased spending?”
“On CETA, a number of us across all parties have an issue in respect of the investment court system. We have seen in other countries that there has been a chilling effect in those sort of scenarios where a legislature can leave itself open to actions by major industries if it were to change the laws to its own benefit. There is a bit more complexity to the issue around CETA. I am not sure it is necessarily going to benefit us in that particular aspect. There has been considerable conversation around Palestine. We know the work we can do here, for example in respect of the war bonds Deputy Boyd Barrett spoke about or in following through on a proper, full-scale occupied territories Bill.”
“In our area, there is a doctor connected to CAMHS-ID but there is no multidisciplinary team. We do not have follow-through in terms of a timeline. I would much prefer not to raise this issue here, but the situation is absolutely drastic.”
“I want to raise the shocking case of 13-year-old Senan Maguire from my constituency, who is autistic. His case was covered by the Sunday Independent, which referenced the absolute failure of the State to provide services for Senan, his mother and father, Tina and David, and the wider family. I could talk about major issues regarding community disability network teams, CDNTs. The child is not currently in school and I am not sure whether he has a secondary school place. There is a particular issue with child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and CAMHS-ID. The fact is that when Senan was aged six he lost Sophia, his four-year-old sister, who had Down's syndrome. He witnessed the attempts to resuscitate her. The family have spoken to experts and believe there is PTSD. Obviously Senan's case has become a lot worse.”
“We are talking about the occupied territories Bill and not a yellow-pack version. We need to see delivery of that. We talk about the humanitarian clauses in the EU-Israel Association Agreement but we need to see action. There are many other issues which I could raise at this time but I am over time.”
“There is the tech sector and the undersea cables. They are not only our cables. I accept we need to make sure we have capacity. We must deal with the underfunding of our Defence Forces. That does not mean we move away from Ireland’s independent foreign policy. We must respect the sacrifices made by those such as Private Michael McNeela and Private Sean Rooney. There must be further engagement with the UN on the information that must be provided to the coroner, the State and the family in the case of Sean Rooney. If speaking about Gaza and genocide, Francesca Albanese put it absolutely straight. We are talking about the acceleration of a total destruction of life in Gaza. We know what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank. We need to do what we can. Israel needs to feel that it is a pariah state. That is the only weapon we have.”
“However, we must deal with the absolute disaster that is the housing crisis which IBEC and others note is impacting on business. We must also deal with the underlying infrastructural issues from water right through to the grid and power capacity. In Dundalk, we would like to see the delivery of a college of the future. Much good work has been done around the advanced manufacturing centre training of excellence and huge work is being done in the regional development centre in DKIT. These are real positives when it comes to connections with business but far more needs to be done in relation to what we can do for our SME sector. A great deal of effort has to be put into protecting what we have. There will be support in relation to engagement. We all know the hybrid threats we are talking about.”
“There is the issue of tariffs and now great instability for global business. I agree with some of what was said earlier about major corporations and how we will not see them leave in their droves in quick time. We are talking about major operations with a requirement to maintain a connection with the European market and they are facilitated by many of the positives that have existed in this State. We have huge issues we need to deal with ourselves alongside the fact that there needs to be trade engagement and engagement at every level with the American Administration and others. We need to work alongside our European partners in delivering for the Irish people and for the businesses and jobs we are talking about.”
“Unfortunately we are in a very scary world where might is right. It can seem like reading the history of imperial power plays from the 1700s. There is slaughter in Sudan and Gaza and Russian attempts to make major military inroads to deliver a one-sided peace. There has been engagement by the US Administration which can at very best be described as unhelpful, although I have many other words for it, as will others, in particular the talk of the Gaza Riviera which means nothing but genocide. Unfortunately, it gives cover to those who are even further to the right of Benjamin Netanyahu, a man who seems wholly committed to keeping this war going with a view to maintaining his career. That is one of the most sickening parts of all of this. It does not help world stability in any way.”
“We need to deal with the fact of ongoing criminality, the bad examples that exist that we are all aware and know of. We have seen examples of where the Criminal Assets Bureau has taken action. We need to see more of that. I have seen drug dealers who have had houses taken off them. It is just the cost of doing business and then they are back in action again. I have spoken to the senior Minister before about the chaos caused by drug addiction and by criminality and pointed out that we do not have the powers, whether we are talking about Tusla, the councils or right across to An Garda Síochána. There needs to be a real conversation. We need a real plan to deal with all of us.”
“We have to be absolutely straight in the sense that Ireland at the minute is absolutely awash with cocaine and we are dealing with addicts who would previously have had an issue with heroin. We are probably talking about crack cocaine and that obviously leads to a particular set of issues particularly as regards crime and the impact on the wider community. I agree with Deputy Smith. He is probably talking about the family addiction support network that we have both engaged with and that deals with families who are suffering because of the issues caused by addiction. We could not have enough resources for youth diversion projects such as those being operated at The House in Cox's Demesne Youth and Community Project, Muirhevnamore and beyond at this time. We need to get absolutely real. We are talking a multiagency approach.”
“A major part of that has been the reaction of the public over the past while. That is what will determine that there will be no return of water charges. We would like absolute support for Deputy Ó Broin's legislation.”
“We are dealing with major infrastructural issues with regard to Uisce Éireann. There are housing developments in respect of which there are plans to put in initial water treatment schemes on the basis that there is not capacity in the rest of the system. In the part of Dundalk I live in, we have an issue in removing wastewater. We have had near flooding incidents on multiple occasions. We have had a long-term issue with brown water and manganese reacting with chlorine. Pilot schemes are in operation and seem to be successful, but we need to see all this working as soon as possible. I concur with Deputy Ó Broin and welcome the fact that there seems to be opposition across the board at this stage regarding the return of water charges, because they are not the solution.”
“We need situations like that to end in success for all in order to remove the threat of people falling into homelessness.”
“In the context of what I said earlier, we all get that the tenant in situ scheme absolutely worked and saved people from homelessness. We are very worried about the tighter criteria. I am specifically asking for some flexibility where local authorities have for the past while been almost only looking at brand-new purchases, or close to that, because they were afraid of getting caught, for want of a better term, on the hook from the point of view of maintenance. There is a problem with maintenance in general. We have all dealt with those who work in maintenance and know that at times it is a question of robbing Peter to pay Paul. We need to look at this particular solution. Estate management issues can often be addressed where it makes sense to buy back the house in a local authority housing estate that is occupied by a very good tenant.”
“I accept checks and balances with regard to purchasing houses that are up to standard are needed but there have also been times when the local authority is not looking at old local authority housing stock and is literally looking at what are almost brand new houses, and I have spoken to the Minister before about how there needs to be flexibility with regard to the money from, let us say, a maintenance point of view. While I accept they need to be up to a certain specification, there needs to be flexibility. That needs to be built into the system. I can think of one young woman in a house in a local authority housing estate that should be bought even from an estate management point of view. It would be a win all round, including for her, for that particular estate and so on.”
“The tenant in situ scheme has been one of those successes with regard to preventing homelessness. We need that circular or the criteria to issue as soon as possible and, obviously, the funding to be provided to local authorities. We have had a huge number of cases. Louth County Council made a large number of purchases that saved an awful lot of people from dreadful circumstances, but a huge number have been stalled within the last period.”
“Deputy Ruth Coppinger - To discuss ongoing delays to building works and provision of resources to Danu special school in Dublin 15. Deputies David Cullinane and Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss persistent water outages in Lismore, County Waterford. Deputy Pádraig Rice - To discuss the ban on pride events in Hungary. Deputy Sinéad Gibney - To discuss how the State can best support and realise the rights of single-parent families. The matters raised by Deputies John Lahart, Darren O'Rourke, Duncan Smith and Seamus Healy have been selected for discussion”
“Deputy Mattie McGrath - To discuss the need to address the waiting lists for autism assessments in south Tipperary. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss accommodating a new special school on the Belmayne Educate Together secondary school site. Deputy James Geoghegan - To discuss the extension of the red line Luas to Poolbeg. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan - To discuss the need for upgrading the water treatment plant in Macroom. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss new mechanisms for the creation of football academies with the FAI and the League of Ireland. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the ongoing closure of SouthDoc Blackpool. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the lack of special education school places in Cork.”
“Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss the wage subsidy scheme and reduction of the minimum hours. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss the delays with ACRES payments. Deputy Duncan Smith - To discuss the financial crisis facing schools, including St. Cronan's JNS, Swords. Deputy Darren O'Rourke - To discuss the need to replace the Duleek to Staleen water mains. Deputy Seamus Healy - To discuss the need to amend the local enhancement programme 2025 to ensure the sustainability of men's sheds. Deputy John Lahart - To discuss the crisis funding situation at Sacred Heart JNS and SNS, Killinarden, in Tallaght. Deputy Erin McGreehan - To discuss a review of the long-term illness scheme. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman - To discuss the provision of modular accommodation for Danu Community Special School.”
“Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the lack of school places for children with additional needs in the north inner city. Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss the need for a multidenominational school for Dublin 8. Deputy Louis O'Hara - To discuss the large number of refused applications under the humanitarian assistance scheme. Deputy Alan Kelly - To discuss the requirement for a new hackney licence to operate in rural Ireland. Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss unsafe working conditions in the ambulance station in Drogheda. Deputy Paul Murphy - To discuss the funding crisis at Sacred Heart national school, Killinarden. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss overcrowding and capacity at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Frankie Feighan - To discuss the potential threat to Ireland's alcohol and spirits market to the USA if tariffs are imposed.”
“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 Paula Butterly - To discuss the proposed 17% increase in personal injury awards. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the national roads programme for County Kerry. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the need to reintroduce the security clearance certificate. Deputy Brian Stanley - To discuss planning for the building of a new fire station in Rathdowney, County Laois. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss safety concerns around the use of signage-only zebra crossings. Deputy Pat Buckley - To discuss the introduction of a baby loss certificate for people who have lost a baby through miscarriage.”
“Comhghairdeas leis an hAirí agus ádh mór leo. The Minister of State spoke about LSSIF funding for those preparing for 2024. Is he speaking about those applications that are already in, such as from Drogheda United and Louth GAA regarding stadium builds which are on the reserve list? When will funding open again? I think this was meant to be an ongoing process because Dundalk F.C. was in a different circumstance at that stage. We know we need huge money for Oriel Park. That is about sustainability. I spoke to the Minister of State before about the issue of sports capital and Clann Naofa Boxing Club. It believes its application was lost. I will get the detail to the Minister of State. Could we find out what exactly happened? There was no contact with the club during the appeals process.”
“Tá cuid mór fadhbanna i gceist leis agus tá an scoil satailíte ag iarraidh go gcuirfí modh eile i bhfeidhm. Tá cuid mhór acmhainní de dhíth, mar a dúirt mé cheana féin, agus ba cheart go mbeadh níos mó cumhacht ag an Roinn chun na hacmhainní seo a chur i bhfeidhm agus córas níos fearr a chur i bhfeidhm. Tá sé sin de dhíth.”
“Tá sé ar intinn agam caint fosta ar an fhadhb atá ann sa Roinn maidir le scolaíocht trí mheán na Gaeilge. Níl go leor acmhainní ag an Roinn agus tá plean de dhíth uirthi maidir le, más rud é go bhfuilimid ag caint faoi, achan rud ó naíonraí, an bhunscoil, an meánscoil agus an tríú leibhéal. Táimse ag caint sa chomhthéacs seo faoi Ghaelcholáiste Dhún Dealgan. Tá tá an scoil seo mar scoil satailíte de chuid Choláiste Ghlór na Mara agus an Foras Pátrúnachta i mBaile Brigín. Táimid an-bhuíoch as an scoil satailíte ach is pilot atá ann. Níl mé cinnte go bhfuil na hacmhainní ar fáil atá de dhíth ar an scoil seo agus ar an bhForas Patrúnachta le seo a chur i bhfeidhm mar is gnáth. Caithfidh go bhfuil fadhb ann leis an gcóras srutha atá i bhfeidhm faoin am seo, agus níl sé seo maith go leor.”
“Tá mé an-bhuíoch as an seans labhairt inniu, go háirithe agus ráitis Ghaeilge agus Seachtain na Gaeilge i gceist. Dearaim achan bhliain go bhfuil orm níos mó cleachtaidh a dhéanamh agus deirim achan bhliain go ndéanfaidh mé sin. Tá mé á rá anois é. Tchfídh muid cad é a tharlóidh. Tá cuid mhór ráite cheana féin maidir leis na fadhbanna atá i gceist. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil fadhb ollmhór maidir le tithíocht sa tír ar fad. Tá cuid mhór fadhbanna nuair atá muid ag caint faoi cead pleanála tuaithe, ach tá cuid mhór fadhbanna ann sa Ghaeltacht. Níl sé maith go leor ar chor ar bith nach bhfuil daoine ón Ghaeltacht in ann a bheith ina gcónaí sa Ghaeltacht. Níl sé maith go leor ach oiread nach bhfuil na treoirlínte déanta agus nach bhfuil an fhadhb seo réitithe faoin am seo.”
“I know her family, who are very good people, but they cannot have her in the house. The gardaí have been very good in how they have looked after her. They have arrested her multiple times under the Mental Health Act and doctors will not sign committal forms. They will sign for voluntary admission but not for committal, and we are dealing with circumstances that will get a lot worse. There is also the issue that many people no longer have a long-standing GP who would recognise the change in a person. I am not even getting into one element of how difficult this is. We could be talking about anosognosia and the idea that a person who is sick does not realise that is the case.”
“It is not only drug debt and intimidation; there are also chaotic cases, sales pitches, party houses and people who come apart under addiction and create a huge hassle for the communities and businesses that surround them. Supports are not in place, whether those are gardaí, Tusla or the powers county councils have to deal with estate management issues. It is a multiagency matter and we need to deal with that. I refer specifically to mental health issues, which seem to be falling to the gardaí to deal with. We all know we do not have a robust enough mental health service. I will deal with one specific case without getting into any names. I know of a young woman to whom I have spoken. When speaking to her, I heard of huge conspiratorial ramblings and issues regarding personal hygiene.”
“There will be general agreement on the fact that, when we have seen a community response, as happened in my town of Dundalk, we have seen community gardaí doing absolutely brilliant work in their interactions with the communities. Sometimes they can deal with issues before they ever happen. We need a lot more of that. We need to have community safety partnerships up and running. I spoke to the Minister regarding the necessity for interventions at family and community level and youth diversion programmes, such as what we have in Muirhevnamor and being run out of the house in Cox's Demesne. We also need to see the likes of the Greentown project and real diversion for those who are becoming involved in criminality. We know the lack of addiction services across the board and the chaotic outworking of serious organised crime.”
“Deputy Gary Gannon - To discuss the implementation of the Taoiseach's task force for Dublin. Deputy Rory Hearne - To discuss the increase in the number of families and children in homeless hubs. Deputies Jennifer Whitmore and Pa Daly - To discuss the sale of Bord na Móna Recycling. Deputy Cathy Bennett - To discuss the downgrading of services by SOSAD Ireland due to a lack of sustainable funding. Deputies Thomas Gould and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the lack of special school places in Cork and to discuss the current shortage of school places, particularly for children with additional needs. The matters raised by Deputies Erin McGreehan, Pat Buckley, Brian Brennan and Danny Healy-Rae have been selected for discussion”
“McGuinness - To discuss persistent water outages in Lismore, County Waterford. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for access to reliable broadband in Dublin Fingal West. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss the issues preventing homeowners from renting out vacant houses. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss overcrowding and capacity at University Hospital Limerick. Deputy Marie Sherlock - To discuss the exclusion of mainstream classes in Holy Child preschool on Seán McDermott Street, Dublin 1, from special educational needs support.Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí - To discuss the expansion of Irish-medium secondary school options in north Dublin. Deputy Seamus Healy - To discuss the application by St. Mary's CBS primary school, Clonmel, County Tipperary, for an emergency works grant.”