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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,582 lines we hold for Ruairí Ó Murchú, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 6 of 32.
“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 Richard Boyd Barrett - To discuss the detention of an Irish citizen by German authorities. Deputies Claire Kerrane and Ruairí Ó Murchú - To discuss issues raised about children in State care arising from a recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the planned new Courtown coastguard building. Deputy Pa Daly - To discuss when the OPW will reopen Rattoo Round Tower. Deputy Tom Brabazon - To discuss the need for emergency works at Scoil Assaim in Raheny.”
“Táimid críochnaithe le Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain dóibh. Anois beidh Ceisteanna Eile faoi choinne an Aire Fiontar, Turasóireachta agus Fostaíochta. Ar dtús tá Ceist Uimh. 126, atá in ainm an Teachta Fleming, ach tá an Teachta McCormack á glacadh.”
“What are we talking about here? We are talking about fair pay and that delivery on the promises made in relation to the minimum wage will not be delayed. We are still talking about a right to collective bargaining and a right of access to the workplace. It is hard to believe that we are still having these conversations in 2026. What have we heard in the news? We have heard about Meta contractor Covalen and the possibility of 700 workers here losing their jobs. In PayPal, 63 jobs have been lost. As much as people tell me that this does not relate to AI, I am afraid that a considerable amount of it is displacement. I know there is no collective bargaining there. That is workers having to set themselves up with incredibly resourced managerial operations. It is not fair in any way, shape or form. We need to see delivery.”
“I commend the union leaders who are here. I also commend union leaders for the work they have done. Maybe more robust action will be needed in the future. We saw the fuel protests, which involved workers at the end of their tethers who had been given no choice. We see the huge impact of increases in the cost of fuel, which were caused by madness abroad - we accept that and it should be called out – but as much as we have insanity abroad, we need to see sanity here. Those in power need to deliver for workers who are under severe pressure. We hear that the price of wholesale electricity rose by 19.2% in February and March. Then there is kerosene. The Government might not have done enough in relation to green diesel, petrol or diesel, but it has done nothing for those who need to heat their homes. That is an absolute disgrace.”
“I would need a lot more time to be able to deal with the wastewater inadequacies, the failure to deliver on housing, particularly in Gaeltacht areas, and the rural planning guidelines. We have been hearing about a report that was checked by the Attorney General. There is talk about hearing about this later in 2026 but we need to see it now. We know the issue for young people, which is that they cannot build houses where they are from and in the Gaeltacht there are particular issues for Irish speakers.”
“That was based on an acceptance of the cost-of-living and cost-of-fuel disaster we are going through. It goes without saying that many are not happy with what the Government was forced to do through these protests. If we are talking about rural Ireland and farming, this is not the only issue. Farmers are obviously in fear in relation to Mercosur and its provisional application. We do not know what is going to happen as regards the cost and supply of fertiliser or what will happen with the CAP. We keep talking about streamlining the system in relation to how farmers deal with the Department and other agencies but they are not necessarily facilitated. Rural Ireland in particular is suffering from the fact that home heating oil is something that the Government has failed to address. We know the issues in relation to poverty.”
“Even worse, and what was probably more disconcerting for the Government TDs in the room, was the fact that the campaign has requested meetings with the Minister, the RSA and the Taoiseach but have not received a response. That is absolutely necessary. I accept the Government will talk about this policy it is following in relation to an agreement with New York but the campaign refutes the argument that this is the correct way. The Minister should put some pressure on his colleagues, a meeting should happen and we should come up with a policy that actually delivers this. Recently we had fuel protests involving farm contractors, hauliers, bus and coach operators, farmers as well as fishermen, taxi drivers and many other workers. I never saw so much support for something that was absolutely discommoding.”
“I have just left the audiovisual room were the Irish-US driver licence campaign gave a presentation. That campaign is led by Mr. Ciarán Staunton and Ms Karen McHugh. They presented a report by Mr. Damian Green and Mr. Laurence Donnelly. There was much conversation in relation to the lack of public transport in an awful lot of rural Ireland and the necessity of the car. They spoke about the huge issue that we have all dealt with as constituency TDs, namely the fact that a lot of the diaspora want to come home to where they are from and a lot of the time, that is rural Ireland but we have not made it easy for them. This State and this Government has not delivered a licence exchange agreement.”
“-----the grid infrastructure? I echo what everyone else here has said. It makes absolute sense that there would be public payback. We cannot have a scenario where others make money off what is one of our major resources. What are our plans for biogas, which Denmark has developed through anaerobic digestion, thereby reducing its carbon footprint by something like 40%?”
“We have all been in here previously talking about the absolute necessity of using wind energy. We need to see major moves as regards offshore wind. Where is the clearing house in relation to where the deficits lie and in terms of Belfast Port being the only port that can facilitate-----”
“We all accept that there has been an underestimation in relation to the cost of globalisation. Many see that their generation is now poorer than the generation before it. This is being exacerbated by artificial intelligence. We have seen the issue in relation to Meta and its subcompanies. We have seen 63 jobs lost in PayPal and, obviously, all that can be done has to be done for those workers. While I am told it does not relate to artificial intelligence, I think anybody who has seen job losses across the sector will accept that is the case. As much as there is hope into the future in relation to jobs that will be created, we need to look after those who need jobs now alongside the fact that the jobs people have do not necessarily have the same spending power they need. This is why we need cost of disability supports.”
“If this was done across the board I would like to think we would have fewer tragic circumstances. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they are saying "what if" or "if only". I commend Deputy Kenny. I request that the Minister and the Government would take action to assuage my fears about the can being kicked down the road.”
“Sometimes the issue is not related to a particular campus but it happens in an adjacent organisation or premises. It is important that where there is an issue that at least somebody can get access. That happens. In fairness, schools play a fundamental role in many communities. In real terms, it could be a facility that operates even beyond the school. First and foremost, parents need to feel their child will be safe, in particular if they have a kid with an added ailment or an added worry, for example, an allergy or some underlying condition that is understood. We must make sure that we have the facility there to ensure their safety as much as possible. We cannot make this an absolutely safe and perfect world, but we can definitely make it a bit safer.”
“This is a lot more fundamental in the sense that we have already spoken about situations we have come across where people have been saved because the correct equipment or the correctly trained person was there and they were able and willing to do whatever was necessary with regard to using an autoinjector or defibrillator. It is just about making sure that happens within schools. We are talking about the entire school population. Something could happen to any of us at any time. I do not know how many times in the last while we have seen paramedics within the campus. There are people with medical training as well who have put that to use. I spoke earlier about GAA clubs. We have seen it in all sorts of sporting organisations and community centres that have access to defibrillators.”
“I like to think we would eventually get to a position whereby we have a sufficient number of SNAs in schools from the point of view of ensuring children get the best opportunity to be all that they can be and to benefit from and flourish in the educational setting. As I have said before, in an awful lot of cases there is a very simple solution to issues. It does not deal with every issue across the board, but the sense is that we should just make it happen as soon as possible. I ask the Government to make sure that it would happen.”
“We just need to make sure, as much as I have a difficulty with this being kicked down the road, that adequate planning and resourcing is put in place and we do not end up, in a year, having not dealt with it, which has happened from time to time. It cannot be another Bill that just withers on the vine. It is an absolute necessity that we have the autoinjectors, correct medicine, defibrillators, and people able to operate them. I also want to follow on from what Deputy O'Rourke said from the point of view of putting more pressure on teachers who are obviously under severe pressure at the moment. He spoke about some of the delineation points, particularly in regard to children with diabetes. At times, this falls directly into the sphere of SNAs, which shows the importance of SNAs to the school population.”
“We would also have the correct element of registration with the HPRA and so on. We are all aware of children or adults who have been in difficult circumstances or medical emergencies. There will often be situations where it is an allergy to something that everybody is aware of, but kids are kids and adults are adults. You are not always necessarily sure of the thing that you get from somebody else's lunchbox, not that I would ever have taken anything that I was not offered in the first place, just in case the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, were to make some sort of crass accusation later. This is an incredibly serious topic. The legislation has been presented by Deputy Kenny and is properly packaged and ready to go.”
“Deputy Cummins made a really coherent point about making sure that people are properly trained, including about the panic that can happen, because we are dealing with medical emergencies, people going into anaphylactic shock, people having heart attacks, and issues such as diabetes, which requires an insulin injection. It can be much more difficult when dealing with children, particularly young children. A number of Deputies mentioned that this was a follow-on from Sabrina's law in 2006 in Canada. It seems this has been well tried and tested. It is straightforward. Deputy O'Rourke put it simply, in that it is making sure there are the correct resources, the correct training and, most importantly of all, given the issues that exist with insurance and so on, permission to act.”
“I also commend Deputy Kenny on bringing this forward. It goes without saying that on some level, there should not actually be a need for a conversation in here. Everyone is always worried when they see we are kicking the can down the road. I hope there will be a proper attempt to address this issue. Forget the politics, which can occur from time to time in here. Obviously, I never partake in that and am always very constructive. In reality, this is about saving lives. It could be anybody's life. It is that idea. We have all seen it with regard to defibrillators. I have seen it in Louth. I have met people whose lives were saved on the basis of having a defibrillator and staff who were able to access and operate it.”
“We all realise the supports that are required, from reasonable accommodation to assistive technology. In some cases, students need added supports such as personal assistants. I do not see it as something that is changing. I accept that it creates a difficulty given that a proposal is in front of workers at the minute. I will deal with the Minister offline about that. There will be issues with pay and conditions, but the 52-week contract was a fundamental issue and is the reason there has not been huge retention in the area. Again, it is about providing the supports that work for those students who need added supports to stay in education, particularly in third level. It is also about providing people with a decent contract and decent pay. Even if this is accepted, I could not think that this will be a solution to the problem.”
“He might comment on the disability project, the outworking of that and how it may facilitate both those who need the help and those who are working in a scenario that is far from perfect.”
“I thank the Minister. We definitely will. The stakeholders are the Department, the education and training boards, and Fórsa on behalf of the workers. This issue has been ongoing for considerable time. I took it to the Tánaiste when he was Minister for further education. An element was dealt with in that the pay rate per hour was improved. It was a considerable percentage because it was a very low base. The big thing for them was the 52-week contract. These are people who are facilitating those who have challenging or further needs to stay in the educational sector and in further education. That is an absolute requirement. In relation to the disability project, a proposal is in front of them. It is not a 52-week contract, which is the big thing. The Minister knows that issue of applying for social protection is a huge issue.”
“I ask the Minister to outline the progress in resolving the employment issues of personal assistants, an issue we have dealt with previously. He has met with me and a number of these personal assistants who work in ETBs and further and higher education centres. What is the timeline for when the issue is expected to be resolved? Will the Minister make a statement on that matter now? I am aware that a WRC proposal is in play but I am not sure there is absolute joy in relation to it. If he could give me an update, I will come back in then.”
“We have heard here previously of the need for a proper clearing house for dealing not only in the educational sphere but in all spheres regarding cross-Border issues, while I might want to see a greater amount of work done in on delivering the all-Ireland project altogether.”
“We all agree this is vital stuff. Consultation on issues is a necessity so that we can cut the issues off at the pass. I thank Dr. Diarmuid O'Callaghan and his team in DKIT and those in Queen's University in making this happen. From what he says the Minister is in support of it and whatever is necessary from this end will be delivered. There will be learnings in respect of those cross-Border issues the Minister is aware of that are impacting on a huge number of students and those that are qualified. It deals with higher education, further education and all the rest of it.”
“It is absolutely vital that we deal with those anomalies around points and the release of results, but that we also we get down to the issue around qualifications and recognition. It is absolutely necessary.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I will pass on his best wishes to Deputy McGettigan. Our thoughts are with her and we are very glad that she is getting better. We are all support this partnership, which is an all-island project that can deliver for the people of Dundalk and beyond. It will vw beneficial to Queen's University Belfast. It follows on from the idea of the M1-border corridor. At the Good Friday Agreement committee recently we had the Newry-Dundalk Chamber of Commerce and many others in. The representatives spoke about the absolute importance of this while dealing with other infrastructural issues that need to be dealt with. I thank the Minister for his words in relation to his engagement with the Dr. Caoimhe Archibald.”
“What engagement has there been between the Department, Dundalk IT and Queen's University Belfast on a partnership? The heads of agreement have been signed from the point of view of creating Dundalk university college. What work is being carried out by the Department to resolve cross-Border further and higher education issues and the anomalies in the CAO and UCAS systems? The recognition of awards, etc., is an ongoing difficulty.”
“Those who are the first port of call need to be given protections that will enable them to deal with their caseload and triage properly. As I nearly always say, we need to get early intervention in place. We have to give it a steroid injection or something because we are not where we should be in relation to the supports required by individuals and families.”
“I appreciate the Minister's answer and that she will come back to me in writing in relation to the case management system. We definitely need to ensure we have a system that works. I also acknowledge the work being done in relation to training and recruitment. I ask for information on how many social workers have been recruited, how many we have and what the deficit is at this point. The information provided to the committee is that for social workers the deficit is approximately 300 and for social care workers it is 100. I also ask for information on the supports provided to those on the front line who are doing huge work. We need to deal with the issue of special care facilities so we can move away from special emergency arrangements.”
“Not only does the Minister have to look at the issue in relation to special care facilities and those particular issues that are impacting it at the minute that will make it difficult to get away from special emergency accommodation or arrangements but we need to look at the operational situations for social workers and social care workers, ensuring the supports are also given to them so they can they provide the supports because we are losing, at times, some of our best to burnout. In some cases, they are just leaving because it is too difficult.”
“I ask that the Minister comes back to me in writing in relation to the caseload management system. My information is it has been paused. I accept the answer that the Minister got. In relation to the overall answer she gave, that sounds like a proper operating system. That is how things should operate. We have spoken before about the fact there are not enough social workers. The last figure I had was 1,728 or 1,754, including outsourced agency staff. Gerry Hone from Tusla told us we are 300 short in relation to that. There are 1,422 social care workers, of which we are at least 100 short. We need at least 500 foster carers for the overall system.”
“I want to ask the Minister about the reason the caseload management system at Tusla has been paused and the protocols in place to ensure Tusla's social workers are not overwhelmed by caseloads. We have just heard from Deputy Kerrane in relation to the issues that exist for special care facilities, and the fact there are issues that need to be addressed there that have been made far worse by the show we saw - "RTÉ Investigates". Those most vulnerable children not in appropriate accommodation. While we need more staff as regards social workers and social care workers, we need to ensure they are looked after and that we do not see the huge level of burnout that is happening within the sector at the minute.”
“I accept that. We have spoken on many occasions previously of the need for earlier intervention and family supports, and even in other cases where children need to be taken out of places that are not safe for multiple different reasons. We have spoken as well about the fact that we need more foster carers, social care workers and social workers to deliver the framework. However, I again ask what the process is in relation to those children with the disputed age. Is the Minister considering moving away from special emergency arrangements, which are not fit for purpose? What will the time frame be? There are huge dangers. Guardians ad litem and a number of others have given out about them. Has the Minister the numbers in relation to those that are in SEAs at this point in time?”
“The Minister talked of children who find themselves in these particular situations and facilities always being monitored but we heard how it looks like Max, who has his own issues and complexities, at some level was left alone, found himself in a scenario where he was abused and nobody noticed for something like two-and-a-half hours. There had been a huge issue in relation to those who have gone missing for a significant time. What we need to see is a framework, that appropriate accommodation is found and we stop using unregulated facilities that are not suitable in any way, shape or form.”
“What is the process as regards how the Minister deals with those separated children seeking international protection and a disputed age? It is necessary to deal with that as quickly as possible from a child protection point of view? I accept Tusla is dealing with far more significant issues in relation to the complexity of issues that are in front of it and the increase in the number of those separated children, but all of us were impacted by what we watched last night on "RTÉ Investigates", in particular, the case of Max.”
“I would like to ask the Minister whether Tusla has completed any monitoring visits to hotels or other accommodation, particularly special emergency accommodation settings, used to provide for separated children seeking international protection accommodation in 2026. Given the "RTÉ Investigates" programme, this relates to that whole sphere. I would be grateful if the Minister can give some sort of assurance that this is being dealt with and Tusla will move away from using special emergency accommodation because it is not suitable and not regulated.”
“There is a significant amount of work to do in relation to this and we really need to clamp down on anybody who is selling vapes with hexahydrocannabinol, HHC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, which are having a detrimental impact on an awful lot of our young people out there.”
“We have seen circumstances of kids outside, who are in and out all the time. It is very obvious that they are not over 18, whether you were checking IDs or not. I agree with an awful lot of what has been said previously. It has to be possible. We have to make it easier, from the point of view of enforcement, that this would not happen. We obviously support the idea of regulation of nicotine consumption products and particularly the likes of nicotine pouches. We do not necessarily see the logic of a ban on all flavours except tobacco. While I accept it in regard to anything that is targeted specifically at kids, we have seen what has been done in New Zealand, where you have vape flavour names that are boring and a couple of standard flavours. I think that is something we can all get on board with.”
“I think everyone in here wants to see a reduction in the number of people actually smoking. I do not think anyone is against that. Do we know, individually, the point of view of people who have used vapes? I get that the jury is out but I refer to some element of harm reduction and the point of view of them getting themselves off it. That has to be facilitated. We should be absolutely united in ensuring we are banning products that are targeted specifically at children and adolescents. At times, we have seen an overproliferation of vape shops. I could say the same of Dundalk and I know it is an issue that has come up at Louth County Council a number of times. It is a very particular issue. I will accept that like many types of retailers, there are very good ones and very bad ones.”
“It is an absolute disgrace that the EU is not suspending the EU-Israel association agreement. We just have to do the bit we can do, and that is the occupied territories Bill. There is genocide, ethnic cleansing and colonisation, whether we are talking about Gaza, the West Bank or now in Lebanon. The illegal war by the US in Iran has had a detrimental impact on us here. It is not life and death but it is having a huge impact on fuel costs. What conversations are happening in Europe in relation to the energy taxation directive and the idea of having minimum excise duty? We need to give states maximum powers to deal with the issue in front of us. The fear around Mercosur is that provisional application still applies before the court and Parliament make their decision.”
“I do not know how many times Deputy Pa Daly and others have been in here speaking about the need to deal with standing charges and about the CRU having greater powers to address any of these issues. That is before we get into the issues of flooding and the mitigations and protections we know about because of changed circumstances. Again, this Government has dithered and taken far too long. What we need to see are real movement and supports for people because none of this is good enough. Unfortunately, it is a continuity of failure.”
“That, at least from the State's point of view, would be a real win but again when we talk about just transition, the Government, in its defence of carbon taxes, will talk about the retrofit scheme. As Deputy Ó Broin said, the problem with the retrofit scheme is that it has looked after those who can afford to pay the most, so we are probably looking at some of the best houses in least need of retrofitting getting the most money from this State. It did not go to the people who needed it most. Then, at times, we have people put under severe pressure, whether we are talking about the burning of turf or any other issues. We have not dealt with the absolute price gouging that has gone on from energy firms in relation to those who are hurting the most.”
“We do this at a time when we have seen multiple reasons to do it on the basis of, obviously, improving the environment, even from an energy security point of view, the issues that have arisen in relation to the Russian war against Ukraine and the absolutely disastrous, illegal war being fought by the Americans at the behest of Israel against Iran. We do not even know long term where that will go. Obviously, it is very hard not to talk at this point in time about the fuel protests. That is accepting that we are not in a world where renewables can offer solutions that are necessary as regards vehicular transport from the point of view of farmers and hauliers at this point in time. We know, however, that we could separate out our reliance on fossil fuels from an energy production point of view.”
“The question is: where is the just transition? The people out there do not feel it and do not see it. I do not know how many times I have used the term in here. We talk about Ireland being a wind superpower but that is all we are talking about. We will talk about the difficulties that arose when switching from developer-led to planning-led systems but the fact is that we have not been able to fundamentally make use of that one serious resource we have in the form of wind. I have not seen any adequate speed-up or streamlining of the system to improve this.”
“Deputy Joanna Byrne - To discuss the exclusion of schools in disadvantaged areas of Drogheda from the DEIS plus scheme. Deputy Colm Burke - To discuss Mayfield library and community centre. Deputy Shane Moynihan - To discuss supports for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia or apraxia of speech. Deputies Seán Crowe, Paul Murphy and Ciarán Ahern - To discuss challenges facing Scoil Maelruain JNS and SNS. Deputy Paul McAuliffe - To discuss the provision of ambulance services and response times in Dublin North-West. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire - To discuss delivery of a permanent school building for Owenabue ETNS, Carrigaline, Cork. The matters raised by Deputies Emer Currie, Pat the Cope Gallagher, Natasha Newsome Drennan and Conor D. McGuinness, Michael Collins, and Pádraig O'Sullivan have been selected for discussion.”
“Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher - To discuss the inclusion of a side-by-side construction option in the revised defective concrete block scheme schedule. Deputy Barry Ward - To discuss the need to promote an increase in the uptake of flexible work practices. Deputy Malcolm Byrne - To discuss the planned new Courtown Coast Guard building. Deputy Louise O'Reilly - To discuss the need for out-of-hours GP services for Fingal West. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan - To discuss the ongoing crisis of capacity at University Hospital Limerick. Deputies Natasha Newsome Drennan and Conor D. McGuinness - To discuss the challenges facing front-line youth workers. Deputy Rory Hearne - To discuss the number of affordable purchase homes delivered in Dublin city.”
“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 Emer Currie - To discuss the need for a competitive funds industry in Ireland. Deputy Albert Dolan - To discuss battery energy storage systems and solar planning guidelines in rural Ireland. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan - To discuss the capacity of childcare provision in Cork North-Central. Deputy Michael Collins - To discuss the delay in publishing the short term letting and tourism Bill 2025. Deputy John Paul O'Shea - To discuss the provision of bus connections to and from Charleville train station. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil - To discuss junior cycle certification processes for students in special schools.”
“I have been talking to the NCSE for the last two and a half months about the big issue that she has no appropriate place at present. She is too special for a special school, so that is a problem. Children are falling between stools all the time. We need to get serious and we need to offer a solution across the board, and not an absolute disaster of Private Members' motions and then an absolute mess every September.”
“Matthew is only coming 12 and still a flight risk. He can't even go out and play on the street without fear of him wandering off. He is a very trusting wee boy and would go off and speak to anyone. I don't think that he would be able to be left alone and go looking for classes or go to lunch on his own. He would wander off and would need constant supervision. She was told to contact a TD. That is what everyone gets told to do because we are not delivering the service required. My son, Turlough, who I have mentioned before, would not have stayed in school in St. Joseph's or in Ó Fiaich College, where he is absolutely thriving, without that support. I will also talk about another mother who has a seven-year-old child with Down's syndrome and autism who is non-verbal.”