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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“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I understand the argument the Minister is making. It is my understanding there are a considerable number of adjournments on the basis of the gardaí and the State itself. The fear is that we will have a number of solicitors who are not willing to engage with this system. We will obviously have those who need representation but beyond that, I am told that in many cases involving legal aid, and when the solicitor is given a sufficient amount of time, due diligence is done and this facilitates, when it makes best sense, guilty pleas or whatever, so we are not necessarily clogging up the courts more than they need to be.”
“Will the Minister outline his or his Department's engagement with the Law Society of Ireland and other stakeholders in advance of the changes to the legal aid system operating in the District Court? I am told by many there is unease in relation to the possibility of an exodus of those who engage in the system. We want to see it streamlined and efficient and getting the best bang for our buck but we do not want to see backlogged courts and it causing more hassle than it needs to.”
“The gardaí are extending the retirement age. I served in the army for 22 and a half years and joined the fire service for 20 years within a week of leaving the army. I have given everything to this country. We do not want to be on social welfare. We are very experienced fire personnel who want to remain and pass on to our knowledge and experience to younger firefighters.”
“I have a letter from retained station officer, John Molloy, from Dunleer fire station. It was sent to the Taoiseach. It states: I am serving retained station officer with Louth County Council due to retire in a number of weeks on 24 May 2026. At 62 years of age, I do not want to retire, nor am I ready to retire. All assistant chief fire officers can stay until 70. All county council outdoor working staff can stay to 70. I am pleading with you to put something in place in the interim to allow us retained fire fighters to stay until the age of 65. This was done previously for age 62 on the basis of health checks. There are approximately 300 retained fire fighters due to retire at 62 over the next year. It is going to come into legislation eventually to keep us to 65. Please step in and do the right thing.”
“However, we do not see movement from the Government in relation to any of this. I am also told that the SEAI has a particular solar panel grant scheme for those who are vulnerable medical users that is not sufficiently funded at this point in time. Will the Minister of State come back to me on that? First, we need to deal with the profiteering of the energy companies. We need to see these sort of moves made and then we need to see energy and electricity made cheaper for the Irish people because this is a disgrace at this point in time.”
“It is an absolute joke, and everyone believes it when we hear about data centres getting far cheaper, and from their point of view far fairer, costs than the regular Joe and Josephine out there. None of this is good enough. We need to see restructuring of the network charges and the PSO levy. We have talked about this for a long time and, yes, we think that there is a need to do it, while accepting that the Government made some moves under pressure from people who went out and protested initially. That is the only reason that any action was taken in the first place, and nobody will tell me different. There is huge anger out there. We know what we need to see and that is cheaper petrol and diesel at the pumps. The issues of those who need home heating oil to heat their homes - about 750,000 people - need to be dealt with.”
“This regulation deals with the monitoring and regulating of hedging practices that are always used as the excuse why energy companies cannot do this, that and the other. It provides for enhanced powers to monitor and sanction anticompetitive behaviour because it is not okay for energy companies to screw over the Irish people. We need to see transparency. This is very straightforward. It is about having the ability to provide data on pricing strategies to the energy regulator so we can see what exactly the situation is. It is about taking energy affordability seriously. Again, Sinn Féin proposed legislation which will give the regulator the power to regulate standing charges. How long have we been talking about that?”
“The biggest issue here is that while we have not had the Government attack this legislation, we have had it talk about the fact that it is premature and not the time. When we make proposals in respect of many issues, we hear that it is not the right time. The fact is that people are dealing with a cost-of-living crisis that was in existence long before the Iran and Lebanese war, and we could go back a long time before that. Once upon a time, we had the cheapest electricity prices in Europe. We now have the most expensive by 40%, and we did not really need Eurostat to tell us that. The fact is we have spoken for a huge period of time about the need to tackle energy costs properly.”
“When are we going to see the occupied territories Bill in relation to services and goods? When will we ever see any action by the European Union with regard to the EU-Israel association agreement given the breach of the ceasefire, plans for further settlements in the West Bank and attempts by Israelis, through ethnic cleansing and every other means open to them, to create a security buffer zone in Lebanon? I cannot mention Lebanon without mentioning our UNIFIL mission there, as well as Seán Rooney. In the parliamentary questions I submitted, I did not receive any update on the ongoing appeal process in Lebanon. The report of the independent inquiry led by Michael Delaney is now with the Attorney General. When will it be published, or at least delivered to the family of Seán Rooney?”
“That is why we are saying we need to put €500 back in workers' pockets, that is, abolish the USC on the first €32,500. That is straightforward. That is just putting money into people's pockets. We know we need to get €400 or thereabouts in electricity energy credits. The people who have always been forgotten about are those with disabilities. The Government accepts there is a need for a cost-of-disability payment. It intends to do some work on delivering it next year but it was not delivered last year. What about the people who sometimes cannot afford to eat or heat or who cannot afford to charge their electric wheelchair? We have all heard directly from people. This is not made-up anger; it is the reality of the world we are in. It is an emergency budget now that is necessary.”
“Energy credits were only ever meant to be a stop-gap measure that would provide the time and place for the Government to deal with the necessary reforms, for the powers to be given to the CRU and for us to ensure we are not wedded to through-the-roof gas prices. Everyone here talks about wind power and how we would love this country to become, as we used to say, the Saudi Arabia of wind power. However, we have not seen sufficient movement over years and years in an industry in which at one time we were ahead of the game. I have to ask not about what the Government has done but about what it was forced to do by the fuel protesters. That is the reality. They had support on the street because every man, woman and child is fed up with the pressure they are under and they need support now, not into the future.”
“We are talking about a 3.6% increase, while the Government had projected 1.8%. I get that some of these circumstances are outside of the Government's control. We all accept there is a madness in the world at the moment, that Donald Trump, led by Israel, is doing what he is doing and that the Minister of State and the Government cannot control that. They can call him out, and the international community could play a stronger role in that regard, but first and foremost the Government could look after its own people. We have calls for energy credits, and not because energy credits are a solution but because they can be done here and now.”
“I suppose he will accept that Ireland has the most expensive electricity in Europe and around 320,000 households that cannot pay their electricity bill. How many people is that? We are probably talking about a million. One in four people cannot pay their gas bills. These are the realities that everyone else bar the Government realises are happening. There was support for those who were out on the fuel protests. Why? It was because people are annoyed and browned off - I think that is the nicest way I can put it - about a Government that is not listening and does not see their problems. Their problems at this point are many. Anybody who has tried to shop in the past while knows that they cannot rely on the prices from the week before as an indication of what they will have to pay. Inflation has nearly doubled.”
“As I have said before, we here get an opportunity to come in and repeat our single transferable speech. Unfortunately, however, that is what is necessary because this Government will not listen. I do not know how long we have been talking about the housing crisis, and I imagine everybody who is talking about engaging with people on doors or in their constituency offices or clinics cannot but see the number of people coming to them with notices to quit. They have no notion how they will afford the unaffordable rents, which were unaffordable long before the Government decided it was okay to introduce its Bill which actually hiked those rents. The Minister of State says the Government is honest.”
“I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "notes that" and substitute the following: ": — the conflict in the Middle East has, once again, exposed the vulnerability of the Irish economy, and Irish society more generally, to imported fossil fuels; — these strategic dependencies have major macroeconomic implications, and the risks to macroeconomic and fiscal stability cannot be ignored; — at a minimum, the large upward shift in energy prices is likely to impart stagflationary impulses to the global economy, with a combination of lower levels of economic activity alongside higher inflation; — by reducing Excise Duty payable on both petrol and diesel, the Government has dampened the pass-through from higher wholesale price to retail prices, but they have not gone far enough; — this burden-sharing has been complemented by other support mechanisms, including an extension of the fuel allowance season and targeted measures for the most exposed sectors; — the total budgetary cost of these measures is of the order of €750 million this year, one of the largest interventions of any country in the European Union (EU), and these measures reduce the annual rate of inflation in April, May, June and July by about 0.6 percentage points; — the Government has also extended the 9 per cent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on gas and electricity bills until 31st December, 2030, one of the lowest rates in the EU, which will have cost over €1 billion from the time it was introduced in May 2022, until the end of this year; — Budget 2026 left workers worse off, and handed tax breaks to those at the top; — the 9 per cent VAT rate for hospitality and hairdressing will take effect from 1st July, 2026, to support businesses in services sectors, supporting over 150,000 jobs across the country; — Budget 2026 delivered weekly welfare rate increases, benefitting approximately 1.5 million people, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents; — for low-income families, Budget 2026 increased the weekly rate of the Child Support Payment; and — the Government has increased the rates for the Fuel Allowance, extended it to the recipients of the Working Family Payment, and recently extended the season by four weeks, to protect those at risk of fuel poverty; recognises that: — a package worth €750 million of supports has been introduced by the Government, that has left many people still struggling to make ends meet; — rates of Excise Duty (Mineral Oil Tax) applying to petrol, auto diesel and marked gas oil (MGO) have been temporarily reduced; — the National Oil Reserve Agency levy has been reduced by 2 cent per litre of fuel, to 31st July, 2026; — the total reductions, will reduce the cost of: — petrol, by 27 cent per litre; — diesel, by 32 cent per litre; and — MGO/green diesel, by 7.4 cent per litre; — the Government deferred the planned increase in carbon tax, scheduled for 1st May, until October, to provide additional support for consumers of green diesel and other affected fuels; — to protect those at risk of fuel poverty, the Government extended the fuel allowance season by four weeks, which will result in additional payments to over a quarter of households; — in Budget 2026, Government announced that VAT on electricity and gas will remain at the lowest possible level of 9 per cent to the end of 2030, to mitigate costs and address energy poverty; — the Government increased the maximum repayment allowable under the Diesel Rebate Scheme from 7.5 cent up to 12 cent per litre of diesel, which will apply until 30th June, 2026; — these interventions have been designed to provide timely and proportionate relief, indeed, the Government's approach is underpinned by the need to balance short-term supports with longer-term objectives, including: — maintaining fiscal discipline and building fiscal buffers; — supporting continued employment growth and economic stability; — strategic capital investment and infrastructure delivery; — advancing Ireland's climate commitments and energy transition; and — strengthening energy security and resilience; — the Fuel Support Scheme for farmers is now open for applications, and a scheme for hauliers will open in the coming weeks; — the bank levy has raised €1.8 billion since 2014, with a further €200 million due in 2026; — the National Development Plan, includes the once-off receipts arising from the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling of 2024, to advance key capital projects; — the Irish economy is facing its second fossil fuel shock in less than half a decade; — fossil fuel dependence, especially imported fossil fuels, is a major economic vulnerability; — analytical work will be undertaken by the Department of Finance, to set out the key macroeconomic principles that should guide the medium-term transition towards energy independence; and — the Government has also established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce, to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses, while delivering key renewable commitments and protecting security of supply and economic stability; further recognises that: — Budget 2026 left workers worse off and handed tax breaks to those at the top; — according to analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute of Budget 2026 measures, households lost disposable income, with low-income households hit hardest; — despite clear evidence of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the Government withdrew cost of living supports, including energy credits; — people with disabilities have been hard hit by the Government's callous decision to withdraw cost of living support, with many people with disabilities left up to €1,400 worse off; — since energy credits were withdrawn, we have seen record numbers of household unable to pay their electricity bills, and many more people struggling to keep up; — the Government measures on Excise Duty on fuel do not go far enough, with petrol, diesel, and green diesel all remaining too expensive at the pumps; — the Government has refused to cut Excise Duty on home heating oil, despite over 700,000 homes relying on this fuel source for heating; — struggling households cannot wait until next years' Budget for Government intervention; and — the State is forecast to run a surplus of €9.2 billion, €4.1 billion higher than previously projected; and calls on the Government to immediately introduce a Cost of Living Emergency Budget that will: — cut the Universal Social Charge, to put €500 back in the pockets of workers; — cut Excise Duty on fuels, such as petrol, diesel, green diesel and home heating oil; — introduce energy credits of €400 per household; and — make targeted cost of living support payments of €500 for people with disabilities, €400 for social welfare recipients, such as pensioners and people on the Working Family Payment, and a double child benefit payment.".”
“Everybody out there who is paying huge fuel rates knows they are paying for that. The fact is that we have these sorts of actions by those who are ensconced within the European project at the same time we have member states, particularly Germany, selling arms to Israel and the continuity of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. It is sickening to anyone not only that trade with Israel remains, but the fact that they are giving such beneficial agreements to themselves. It is utterly wrong. I reiterate that we need to take the actions we can and that means implementing the occupied territories Bill for goods and services. It is fair enough to say that people would like to see the Irish Government put pressure on the FAI and that we would not see the Irish team playing Israel as it continues with its genocide, lunacy and madness.”
“I will take one headline from the RTÉ app, which reads: "Call for EU to deter Israel from building in West Bank". The article states: "Nearly 450 former EU ministers, ambassadors and senior officials have called on member states and EU institutions to take action deterring Israel from constructing a controversial Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank which, say critics, would separate East Jerusalem from the main Palestinian population centres." We all understand the genocide that was carried out in Gaza and a ceasefire that is not really a ceasefire. We have seen the attacks by Israel in Lebanon. We have seen how it has dragged the United States into absolute madness as regards the attacks on Iran. I am not entirely sure how they manipulated Donald Trump into it.”
“Europe has worked as a peace project. We all know Europe was incredibly facilitatory and really useful in our own peace process. The solidarity we were shown during the lunacy of the Brexit process was a necessity. I assume it also shows the power of the Single Market, even when it came to those from Germany or France who wanted to sell into Britain. However, we cannot say there are not issues in relation to the European Union and how it is constituted at this point in time. We all understand that we are in a very changed geopolitical set-up from a couple of years ago but the European Union is meant to have credibility. It is meant to have credibility in the wider world, particularly when it talks about international law and the rights of supporting the Ukrainians in the context of the illegal invasion by Russia of Ukraine.”
“I agree. We all know the necessity of sport as being a real positive in a world of many negatives. It is about making sure that the money does come on stream and that the Government would look at the caps. Whether it is Louth GAA, Dundalk FC or Drogheda United, they would be somewhat worried about what looks like a delay in the LSSIF. It is necessary, particularly for League of Ireland clubs. I said it about Louth previously and now I will say it about Dundalk FC. Hopefully we will do better against Bohemians at the weekend than we have done in the last while. We also need to make sure that we support the likes of Peter Lynch, Kate O'Connor and those who are coming behind them. We know some good work has been done but there is a lot more that needs to be done. We are starting from behind in some cases.”
“We have all seen the benefits of sports capital grants. There was a lot of conversation about the sports capital grant for the pitch and lights in Oriel Park. It has been a great benefit and absolutely necessary. We need that to continue. I add my voice to the call to increase the caps of €200,000 and €500,000 given the higher costs, especially with serious capital builds. When will the large-scale sports infrastructure fund open? This is of major interest, not only to Dundalk Football Club and Oriel Park, but particularly to Louth GAA. We have seen the work on the stadium going on, and rightly so. If this was a couple of weeks ago, I would be talking about how great the Louth team is doing but it has been a rough week. I commend the under-20 team on a good came against Kildare. The best of luck to them.”
“Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss the armed assault by Israeli naval forces on the Global Sumud Flotilla. The matters raised by Deputies Eamon Scanlon, Pat Buckley, Mark Ward, Michael Cahill, Ged Nash and Joanna Byrne have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Mark Ward - To discuss waiting times for occupational services in Dublin Mid-West. Deputy Eamon Scanlon - To discuss reducing capital gains tax for families passing homes to their children. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss social infrastructure provision in Kildare North. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss proposals for the use of the old prison site at Rathmore Road, Cork city. Deputies Ged Nash and Joanna Byrne - To discuss the exclusion of schools in disadvantaged areas of Drogheda from the DEIS plus scheme. Deputy Brian Stanley - To discuss overcrowding in the Midlands and Portlaoise Prison. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss expanding the communications allowance to include broadband and mobile data. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss supports for those with frontotemporal dementia.”
“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 Pat Buckley - To discuss the failure to follow through on a Labour Court recommendation. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss the establishment of a national radiation therapy equipment replacement programme. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the planned new Courtown coastguard building. Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss the status of the Cork Life Centre. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss funding for youth service in Kerry. Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss the refurbishment of school buildings across County Kerry, Deputy Séamus McGrath - To discuss the recruitment process for the Defence Forces. Deputy Michael Murphy - To discuss the local democracy task force report.”
“We are talking about Dignity4Patients, which has done huge work on delivering where we are today. It represents 398 men and two women. We know that the group represents a lot more. We cannot even imagine how many were abused by Michael Shine. I reiterate what Deputy Byrne said about the absolute necessity for funding, but also that notice goes out for those who still have not spoken and need to that Dignity4Patients and others are there to provide that support. This is back to the Government. It is about ensuring that the scoping exercise does what it is supposed to and that we find a means of providing people with the full powers of inquiry that are required.”
“Michael Shine was an abuser who was well known for decades hiding in plain sight. There have been multiple failures, whether we are talking about Our Lady of Lourdes, Medical Missionaries of Mary, the Garda, successive Departments of Health and by the State and many Governments. We all welcome the scoping exercise by Lorcan Staines. There has been good engagement by the survivors and victims. However, it only matters if it provides what is needed, which is a full public inquiry that provides the absolute truth in relation to what happened and beyond what happened, why it happened and why it continued to happen for so long. Like many others, I was very taken when I listened to the stories of the likes of Larry, Cianan, Gerard, Peter and Ian. Many of us were at that presentation and many others over the years by those survivors.”
“I have no problem with making sure that as many members of our diaspora as possible can vote but we must ensure that citizens from the North who live on this island can vote in a presidential election and then see real movement toward building the republic that many have died for over many generations. That is what we need to see. Go raigh maith go léir agus an phoblacht abú.”
“Even if people do not want to call it a citizens' assembly, we need some sort of forum where people can have a conversation about what Irish unity would look like and where they could deal with those particular issues and the worries that some people have. I do not see a British Government agreeing to a referendum date on Irish unity when you have an Irish Government that will not even ask the question. Rather than supporting this today and then letting it wither on the vine, we need to see movement. Regardless of whether it is Deputy Tóibín's legislation, Gerry Adams and Deputy Seán Crowe's legislation or the Government's, we need to see delivery.”
“The problem is that the Taoiseach and the Government have stated that we have to wait on this perfect moment of utopia involving what the Taoiseach terms complete and utter reconciliation. Fine Gael's former leader Leo Varadkar said that if this had been the idea, the Good Friday Agreement would not have been agreed upon. It is nearly 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement and we are in a much better place. When we are talking about giving citizens in the North the right to be able to vote in a presidential election, we are talking about the bare minimum. We need to see the preparatory work this State has the capacity to do actually being done.”
“From my point of view, it is about removing the British presence from Ireland, but it will probably be a very different united Ireland than I would have thought when I was 17. We are talking about an agreed Ireland. It is an Ireland where we have to make space for unionism and for those who see themselves as British. There is an argument that there is an onus on all of us in a referendum to be able to sell the idea that life would be better for them and their children and that we can deal with the inadequacies across both states relating to health, education and ensuring the sustainability of the economy. It is as simple as that - that we can literally put together a roadmap to Irish unity that can provide for better lives so that we can cherish all the children of the nation equally. That is something that we should all espouse.”
“Fianna Fáil would profess to be the republican party and the Minister of State's party professes to be the united Ireland party. I would like to see some action in that direction. The Taoiseach has set his mind against any moves on Irish unity. We all accept very much that good work has been done by the shared island unit and I think we all want to eventually see the necessary work done on the A5. All of us see Narrow Water Bridge as an example of a spectacular project connecting my constituency with County Down. We know that there will be huge benefits not only from the point of view of transport and connectivity, but also from a tourism point of view. However, we also have to make sure that we follow through on the conversations that are happening about constitutional change.”
“Many were not very taken by the madness that took Britain and the North out of the EU, particularly when the majority in the North voted to stay in it. They have seen the chaos that has existed in Westminster for far too long. We will rail about this Government and what it has failed to do, but I believe more and more people on this island realise that the best way to make decisions for the people of Ireland, North and South, is to make them here on the island. Too many times, we have seen how there are insufficient powers in the Executive and the Assembly when it comes to taxation and other very particular issues where powers are still maintained by Westminster. These are all issues that need to be addressed. We need this Government to take the right steps. We are talking about Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government.”
“It cannot be impossible for us to facilitate voting, no more than it cannot be impossible to find a means by which we could facilitate those in the North to vote in a presidential election. A much bigger body of work has to be done. The failure does not start and stop with presidential elections. In this Chamber, it should be possible to provide speaking time for those who represent citizens in the North, those who are elected in the North. It is vital that we bring their voice to this Chamber. The fact is that demographics are changing. There is a conversation happening across Ireland and there are significant sections, even within the Protestant unionist community, who now see Irish unity as a sensible option, including for reasons such as being part of the EU.”
“I accept some of what the Minister of State emphasised regarding the diaspora. Given our history of emigration and families torn asunder, we should do everything to ensure we engage those who have found themselves on far-flung shores. Unfortunately, some of our young people have had to leave because of issues with housing, childcare and all the other cost-of-living issues that unfortunately existed here long before the present cost-of-fuel crisis. Deputy Crowe stated it quite clearly: we have all seen in news reports and elsewhere people queuing up outside embassies to vote in far-flung places, whether in parts of eastern Europe or elsewhere all over the world. In eastern Europe, people had a long history of not being able to vote.”
“However, the only point of that is actually delivering on our citizens’ rights across this island. We are talking about voting for Uachtarán na hÉireann. That is fairly straightforward. I refer to the idea that the Irish President would represent the Irish people. You would think that would include those in the Six Counties. The Minister of State’s former leader, Leo Varadkar, accepted that Northern nationalists had been failed for many years, so I would like to think a move could be made to address this issue. Deputy Crowe spoke about the 2013 constitutional convention, and that should have been the impetus to take action. The Deputy spoke of the fact that he and Gerry Adams produced legislation in 2014. Unfortunately, none of these opportunities have been taken up. We failed to deliver for the last presidential election.”
“I agree with what Deputy Tóibín said about the necessity for any parties here to organise in the North, but ours would have been a very different history had those parties organised in the North. This would have changed their mindset in relation to many events. Maybe we could have avoided much of what happened, down to the fact that the North became, for all the failings of this State, a sectarian state, a sectarian Orange state that maintained the supremacy of unionism over nationalism and treated Catholic nationalists, it is fair to say, like dirt. Unfortunately, the British Government and Governments down here did nothing to address this for 50 years, and that is what led to what was a community insurrection and, unfortunately, huge pain on all sides. We are a lot happier that we are in our current position.”
“Is Bille maith é seo agus táimid ag tacadh leis. It is fair to say that this State has abjectly failed those in the North for many years. The issue we are dealing with is therefore the continuous failure over many years. It is also fair to say that primary responsibility for partition lies with Britain. Partition entailed the idea of Britain maintaining a foothold in Ireland, not so much facilitating Ulster unionists as using them – not for the first time and not for the last. We cannot forget the threat from David Lloyd George of “immediate and terrible war”. Obviously, that led to a really sad history. It broke many families, created a huge split in what had been the independence movement and eventually led to the creation of Cumann na nGaedheal, which later became Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.”
“Many in the Opposition have said it and more will be saying it into the future. We need cuts to the USC. None of this is good enough. We also need the cost-of-disability payment because they are the people the Government has really let down.”
“That is long before we get to the place we are in now. We all accept this is down to the lunacy of Donald Trump being led by genocidal Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu. We understand there are limits to what the international community and the Government can do on that. However, people expect sense here. They expect supports. What are we talking about in terms of supports? We are talking about energy credits to reduce electricity bills. We are talking about cuts to fuel taxes. The Government could go further in relation to petrol and diesel than 15 cent. That is before we talk about the abject failure there has been on green diesel. I cannot get over the fact that kerosene has not been touched in any way, shape or form. We need an emergency budget. Pearse Doherty has said it. Mary Lou McDonald has said it.”
“We are talking about hauliers, farmers, farm contractors and bus and coach operators, many of whom did not always get any wins in rebate schemes that existed previously, so I would like to think that the schemes being operated will be delivered for them. Being left out altogether, however, are the regular Joe and Josephine; the 750,000 people who use home heating oil. Nothing is being provided for them - not a penny. We hear the statistics at the minute. Some 19.2% has been the increase in electricity bills over March and April. We know 317,000 cannot pay and are in arrears on their electricity bills. I think 25% of those are in arrears on their gas bills. The ESRI reports - this is historic - that 14% of Irish households in 2024 were unable to afford adequate warmth or energy. Think of that.”
“What we are looking at here is insufficient action by Government to deal with the pressure people are under at this point. It is little that they are getting, but they would be getting nothing if it had not been for those protestors who went out onto the streets. I spoke to many of them. Many of those who were out in the Minister of State's own part of the world probably voted for him. I have no doubt that they voted for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in an awful lot of cases. I could not get over the fact of how let down they felt by those they had supported probably over generations. That is the reality. Who are we talking about?”
“I accept we are talking about very complex cases but we are also talking about cases that have been made more complex by the lack of early intervention. The State is paying something like €2,000 per child per week to unregistered, unregulated SEAs. Last year there were 170 SEAs. There are now 70. It is still too many but that is an improvement. I also hear from Tusla front-line staff that SEAs cannot be operated at the moment, understandably so.”
“As Deputy Kerrane says, it is utterly crazy that at the same time the Government is going to undermine the independence of the guardian ad litem - the voice of the child in the court settings - those most vulnerable of children who in many cases have been failed for far too long. We need to have at least somebody there who is not in the employment or under the direction of a Minister or Department and has an element of freedom to represent the child. That should be the sole focus. Like Deputy Mark Ward, I commend the work of "RTÉ Investigates" in relation to the brutal case of Max. He was subject to a special emergency arrangement in a hotel and went missing for two and a half hours. He was sleeping in a car park open to all sorts and abused within that setting.”
“I would like to bring up a very specific issue that was raised with us at the autism parliamentary group yesterday. I will not go into the complete detail, but it is about real failings that surround child protection and child welfare. This relates to the most vulnerable children who do not have a voice, namely, those who are non-verbal. In the near future people will hear about - and we will deal with - failings in the criminal justice system. Training and guidelines are required for the Garda. Agencies must ensure we have the necessary child welfare protections. At this point in time we are absolutely falling down.”
“What happens in this day and age? As much as I want to see the end of SEAs, and it needs to happen as soon as possible and I ask for a date, I have a fear of what happens at present with one of those children to avoid them being placed in an SEA. Where do we put them if we do not have the appropriate residential care facility? I am very worried. I will also go back to that point that we are missing the early intervention piece that could avoid an awful lot of this nuclear action and we would not be failing children to the degree we are.”
“I will also follow up. The Minister stated that "by the start of May this year, Tusla will have reduced the number of emergency placements that are not registered by almost 50%". When are we taking that from? Are we talking about the 70 there at the moment becoming 35? We are literally talking about the end of this week. I am going to put that question again. There are obviously complex cases. We get the idea of the huge issue in respect of separated children seeking international protection. The Minister spoke about the issue of the age discrepancy, which needs to be dealt with, particularly from a safeguarding point of view. However, what happens with a complex child if we do not have a special care facility and we do not have the residential care that Deputy Kerrane is speaking about and which is underfunded?”
“While we would prefer to see special care facilities funded, if special emergency accommodation is not being utilised, what is happening with the kids who have to be presenting at this time? My fear is that even if we are avoiding using special emergency accommodation, which we should long term, we are talking about inappropriate care, inappropriate supports and inappropriate accommodation.”
“I raised this with the Minister last week and she told me that last year there were 170 special emergency accommodations and now there are 70. She said she is talking about reducing the number by 50%. We need to see special emergency accommodation gone. My fear is that the pressure is on, rightly, following "RTÉ Investigates" and the shock that everybody got. We also understand the complexity of the issues, the lack of addiction services and the lack of mental health services and early interventions for families. We are still talking about Tusla, which is dealing with these issues, probably a lot later because of the size of the caseloads. It is dealing with them a lot later when the issues have become a lot more complex.”
“I thank the Minister for being here. We dealt with this to some degree last week but, as Deputy Kerrane has said, it is utterly shocking and harrowing. There are no terms to describe the story of Max, which we all saw on "RTÉ Investigates". We are talking about special emergency arrangements or accommodations that are not in any way suitable. He was missing for two and a half hours before anybody noticed and before the child was abused, and this is only part of it. Unfortunately, this is a representation of many children who are in these inappropriate settings. It is all we can call them. They are inappropriate settings for which we are paying huge money. We heard it was €2,000 per child per week. This is utterly frightening.”
“McGuinness and David Cullinane - To discuss the decision by Tusla to cease therapeutic support services for children in care and foster carers at St. Brigid's family and resource centre in Waterford city. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae - To discuss payments to landowners along the south Kerry greenway. The matters raised by Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett, Duncan Smith, Sinéad Gibney, Claire Kerrane and Ruairí Ó Murchú, Aidan Farrelly, Pa Daly and Danny Healy-Rae have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Michael Cahill - To discuss funding for improvement and refurbishment works to school buildings across County Kerry, Deputy Jen Cummins - To discuss the issue of public health nurses in Dublin 8 and 12. Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss the potential loss of the 6.50 a.m. train service from Athenry to Galway. Deputy Aidan Farrelly - To discuss prevailing issues with water supply and outages across the State and local and national responses to same. Deputy Thomas Gould - To discuss the increase in drug-related intimidation and violence in Cork city. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss ongoing capacity issues at University Hospital Limerick. Deputies Joanna Byrne and Ged Nash - To discuss inclusion of Drogheda schools in the DEIS plus scheme. Deputies Conor D.”