Sarah O'Reilly
Agricultural Panel · Aontú · Ireland
“I support Senator Harmon in everything she has said. I want to raise the ongoing crisis in assessments of need and the impact this is having on families in Cavan and Monaghan. Earlier this year, I was helping a mother whose young son had been offered a place in an early intervention preschool.”
“In Cavan and Monaghan alone there are 578 overdue assessments. I commend Cara Darmody on continuing to shine a light on this issue. She is absolutely right when she says children are missing the window for early intervention. We all know that the earlier a child gets support, the better the outcome. These early years are precious.”
“Parents should not have to pay out of their own pocket because the State has failed to meet its own legal obligations. Disability teams continue to be short-staffed while many newly qualified therapists and psychologists cannot get the supervised placements and recognised experience they need to practise.”
“She has already had two near misses, as she calls them, that left her badly shaken. She describes Cavan's footpaths as being like a racetrack and says she dreads leaving her home now. That should not be the case. This is not just about an inconvenience.”
“I also welcome the delegation from Canada. They are very welcome. I have three sons living and working in Manitoba, Souris and Brandon. I bring up the issue of e-scooters. Imagine being afraid every time you step outside your own front door. That is a daily occurrence for a visually impaired woman living in Cavan town.”
“People had to take long detours just to get to school. The Department said that inspections carried out in March 26 found around 130 roads needed complete reconstruction, 440 had significant damage and several bridges could no longer be used. I believe those figures cover the entire country. My question is simple.”
The complete record
Every one of 719 lines we hold for Sarah O'Reilly, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 15.
“It is also worrying that we continue to see Tusla place children in unregulated accommodation run by private for-profit companies that HIQA does not inspect and which employ, in some cases, untrained staff. Two days ago, Judge John Campbell said he was "incandescent with rage" that Tusla could not find a secure bed for a child at risk of death. A child who should be getting ready for Christmas is left in an unregulated placement because no special care beds are available until January. Out of 26 beds, only 15 are operational because there are issues recruiting and retaining staff. How many more children need to go missing or have their lives put at risk before any concrete change happens? Our asylum system needs to be reformed immediately. We have to bring an end to children being housed in unregulated accommodation.”
“Last month, 17-year-old Vadym Davydenko, who was in State care, died after a serious attack in Donaghmede. It is now believed the suspect in the attack was not a juvenile but was over 18 at the time of the attack. This is what we mean when we talk about a chaotic migration system. This vulnerable young man was in State care. We have a responsibility to ensure international protection applicants, particularly children, are safeguarded. It should set off alarm bells that an adult was allegedly housed in an apartment with three children and that this was only discovered after the death of one of those children. This is indicative of a deep failure by the Government to properly vet people claiming asylum in the country.”
“The same situation prevails in Bailieborough, Virginia and Kingscourt. These schools are looking for additional accommodation and are stuck at stage 2B since being approved four or five years ago. Parents in these areas would tick the box for any school place they could find. What are the next steps if the survey finds there is a demand for multidenominational schools? I can promise there will be years more of surveys and reviews and nothing built. We need more concrete action in this area.”
“Parents who contacted me were surprised that they could fill out the survey multiple times simply by switching from their phone to their laptop. That hardly inspires confidence in the reliability or usefulness of the results. Where are the surveys on issues that are crucial to families such as provision of resources for children with disabilities or autism, as Senator Boyle just raised? I take no issue with a survey being conducted but it seems the Department and the Government in general are more preoccupied with surveys and reviews than actually delivering services. A total of €80 million was spent on reviews in the past three years. I previously raised the lack of space in St. Aidan's school in Cootehill, County Cavan. By 2026 it will have 700 students, yet a project approved four years ago is still stuck at stage 2B.”
“I will speak on the Department of Education and Youth's new school survey for parents. Consultation and parental choice are important for our education system but this survey is wholly inadequate. It consists of just seven short questions and it is not necessary even to be a parent to fill it out. We absolutely support multidenominational schools. However, it must be said that there is a constant ideological push against Catholic schools. In reality, the Department's attempts to divest schools from Catholic patronage have failed because in many cases parents are happy with the existing ethos of their school and simply want that to remain in place. There is nothing stopping individuals who are pushing an ideological agenda against Catholic schools from filling out this survey themselves.”
“God forbid if the Green Party ever got back into power because God knows what its members would do with their anti-rural agenda. All of this is in the Bill and I ask people to read it. Nobody in this House who calls themselves a democrat can support this bizarre legislation. It sets a very dangerous precedent in respect of the legislative process, and I must object to it in the strongest terms possible.”
“It allows local authorities to appoint anyone they see fit as what is called "an authorised person". They would be granted the power to stop and detain vehicles and raid private dwellings if they suspect a person of cutting or burning turf. I am not scaremongering here and urge Senators to actually read the wording of this Bill. If someone breaches the regulations they are threatened under section 53K, to be inserted by this Bill, with a fine of half a million euro or 12 months in prison. This is someone who breaches regulations, not law. What we are being asked to do here is to write a blank cheque for the Minister and future Ministers to set whatever regulations they like. We have not been told what those regulations are or will be but that people who breach the regulations will be thrown in jail or fined half a million euro.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming here today. When it comes to air pollution, we need more carrot and less stick. The rate of retrofitting is very slow and we must ask why. In 2024, nearly 54,000 homes were retrofitted in Ireland. About 33,000 houses get solar panels each year and there are 2 million homes in Ireland. Therefore, it will take 50 years to get solar panels on those houses at this rate. There is a lot more the Government could be doing to tackle climate change. That being said, Aontú is opposed to this legislation. It is extremely draconian. I drilled down into the detail of this Bill well over a year ago when it was in draft form. I am shocked to see that the Bill has not been altered or amended since then. Not since Covid have I seen legislation like this which grants extraordinary powers to the Minister of the day.”
“Disability advocates and campaign groups are blue in the face telling representatives what exactly they need to live independently and what supports are lacking. Acknowledgement is crucial but it is just the first step. The Department has referred to this as a live document, so I would love to see the addition of definite commitments and timelines for housing provision, employment opportunities, personalised budgets and how the Government is addressing staffing shortages for therapies.”
“In Cavan, we are working with a number of people who live in their own homes but rely heavily on PAs. They need increased support and want to move into assisted living. I referenced before the assisted living facility in Donegal as a fantastic example of what can be achieved. It should be replicated around the country. The strategy rightly talks about the need for people with disabilities to choose their own care but that cannot happen when we do not have the facilities to place or to allow the option for them to choose. Terms like "advanced" and "established" are far too frequent in the document, as well as the emphasis on reviews and analysis. We have learned recently that the last Government spent €80 million on reviews and analysis.”
“Some of the people who have come to me have been waiting maybe two or three years. The strategy notes that we currently have a shortage of educational psychologists and are losing an average of 12 annually. Meanwhile, our doctoral programmes produce just 14 graduates a year. There simply are not people there for the NEPS to recruit. The worst part is I know several people who have had to leave the country because there were not enough assistant psychologist posts available for training. These people are highly educated and have tried to come back to work within the HSE but have been met with bureaucracy and red tape. I encourage the Minister of State to look into this and streamline the process as quickly as she can to address the shortage.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. I welcome that the national human rights strategy for disability focuses heavily on the point of independence for people with disabilities as well as the need for them to choose their own supports and care plans. However, like many disability advocates, I feel let down by the lack of targeted, tangible long-term initiatives. I also express my disappointment that representatives such as my colleagues Senator Clonan and Deputy Ardagh, whose children have direct lived experience with disability, were not invited to the launch of this strategy. The strategy notes the importance of early intervention but children who eventually get an assessment of need are then left waiting indefinitely for support from psychologists or speech and language therapists. That is shocking.”
“Cows are grass-fed and our land and climate mean we can produce food more efficiently and sustainably than most of Europe. Yet, farmers are blamed for increasing nitrates in our rivers without any real investigation into other causes like faulty wastewater treatment plants, urban run-off or industrial pollution. The reality is that it is easier to scapegoat farmers than address these other polluters. I have written to the Minister to ask for a firm commitment to retain the nitrates derogation and communicate to our counterparts in Europe that this is non-negotiable for Ireland.”
“The reality is that farmers have done everything that has been asked of them. They have invested heavily in low-emission slurry spreading, slurry storage and new technology, all to protect the environment and to improve water quality. They are constantly hit with new policies coming from Europe and these policies threaten rural Ireland. They have been told they cannot stack bales and that they cannot cut turf. That is the level of micromanagement that is coming from Europe and, all the while, we have the sheer hypocrisy of the EU pushing ahead with the Mercosur deal. We will be importing beef from countries engaged in mass deforestation while punishing Ireland's grass-fed sustainable farming model. How does that make sense? Ireland is different from other EU countries.”
“I would like to be associated with the votes of congratulations to former Deputy Catherine Connolly on her winning the presidential election, and in offering commiserations to my colleague and neighbour, Heather Humphreys. I wish her well in the next chapter of her life. My condolences on the passing of Sr. Stan. I also support what Senator O'Loughlin said earlier about the hunger strikers. That really needs to be addressed and I hope it is sorted out in the next 24 hours or so. Over 2,000 people gathered in Fermoy yesterday because they are deeply concerned about the future of the nitrates derogation. The Minister spoke at the meeting and said he would "fight to get the best possible deal" for farmers. I really hope this is true because many of the attendees were disappointed that the Minister did not offer a stronger commitment.”
“When a vulture fund takes over, it inherits that power and uses it to drag rates far higher than the banks would ever do. Vulture funds would not exist only for this. The Government needs to intervene in the sale of mortgages without consent to these predatory vulture funds. We need real protections for mortgage holders and families and fair access to switching and refinancing.”
“Families are being financially crushed by interest rates of between 6% and 8.5%, even as the European Central Bank's lending rate has fallen to 2.15%. In a response to a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú, the Minister for Finance dismissed this as a commercial matter between two parties. The response shows a shocking lack of empathy and a complete disconnect from the real cost-of-living crisis and the real lived experiences of our citizens. We must not forget that these vulture funds were invited into the country by members of the Government. The Minister also claimed that vulture funds cannot stand in a better position than the original lender. While they cannot rewrite the loan terms, however, many contracts already give the lender the power to change the interest rate.”
“I raise the issue of home repossessions, which has re-entered public debate recently. For a huge number of families, the issue has never gone away. I have been contacted by constituents who have had their mortgages sold out from under them to vulture funds. One woman in her 70s, who was a founding co-ordinator of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, and a lifelong community worker, has spent 12 years fighting to save her home. Her mortgage was sold without her consent and she has since lived in constant fear of eviction while the financial institutions act with impunity. She did everything right. She worked hard, paid her taxes and helped others to save their own homes. Sadly, her story is not unique. Thousands of people are still caught in the same nightmare.”
“There needs to be a serious investigation into Tusla as well as reform of the State agency. Vulnerable children deserve the highest standards of care and safety and not to be placed in unregulated for-profit accommodation.”
“To see language such as "absconded" used in regard to a ten-year-old girl is shocking as though she were somehow responsible for the abuse inflicted on her. It is 101 victim blaming. The girl was entrusted to the care of the State and was failed both by Tusla and by the Government's disastrous migration policy. My heart aches for her and her family. Since 2021, 121 children under the care of Tusla have been referred to the Garda because of child sexual abuse. This is a systemic issue, yet nothing is being done. The issue has been raised tirelessly by Aontú and Deputy Peadar Tóibín. The Government continues to outsource the care of vulnerable children to private for-profit companies, many of which are not regulated. The State is continually failing children. What will it take for the Government to realise we are at breaking point?”
“Last week a 17-year-old Ukrainian boy was stabbed to death in an apartment run by a private contractor on behalf of Tusla. This apartment housed four teenage boys. Two of these boys, alongside a female care worker, desperately tried to intervene in this horrific attack. I cannot begin to imagine the grief felt by his family. Their child lost his life when he was supposed to be safe in the care of our State. Yesterday the news broke of a young girl only ten years old who was allegedly raped by a man who had no legal right to remain in this State, a man who had been here for six years as an asylum seeker before being served with a deportation order earlier this year. This child was also in the care of Tusla. In a statement put out yesterday evening, Tusla described how the girl absconded from its care while on a trip in the city centre.”
“Last week a 17-year-old Ukrainian boy was stabbed to death in an apartment run by a private contractor on behalf of Tusla. This apartment housed four teenage boys. Two of these boys, alongside a female care worker, desperately tried to intervene.”
“The families in Donegal deserve nothing less. This is a humanitarian disaster and needs to be declared as a national emergency. The damage threshold must be scrapped. The only real solution is a State-led demolition and rebuild programme, strict independent regulation of quarries and emergency accommodation for people affected. I agree with Senator Linda Nelson Murray: we need to get on with the work of these Houses. We have been distracted and there have been a lot of deflections over the past few months to things that do not affect our own people. We need to fight for the people in our own country who are struggling. I look forward to seeing statements in the future for the people of Donegal on the defective blocks situation.”
“Quarries remain self-regulated, meaning defective materials can still be produced today. Homeowners are being charged €600 to €1,000 for building condition assessments and they simply cannot afford this in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. I have seen homes where every wall is covered in mould, children suffer constant respiratory infections and families are trapped in unsafe conditions with nowhere to go. During Storm Amy, Donegal had a status red wind warning in place. Imagine trying to take shelter in a house that is held up by blocks that you could put your fist through. With every storm, these houses weaken. What happens to families when their homes totally collapse? There is no plan for rehousing and no emergency accommodation. Families in north Leinster received full redress under the pyrite scheme.”
“I commend Deputy Charles Ward, who brought a Private Members' motion before the Dáil today, the 100% Redress councillors and my Aontú colleague Ms Mary T. Sweeney on their tireless work on the defective concrete blocks issue. This crisis is a slow-motion earthquake. We see homes slowly crumbling across Donegal and far beyond, and I have no doubt it will stretch more over the country in the next few years. If this disaster were happening anywhere else, the Government would have declared a national emergency. Instead, Irish families have been abandoned in their own country. The Government still clings to the so-called mica freeze-thaw theory. The truth now confirmed by experts is that sulphite-bearing aggregates are the real cause, yet regulations still have not changed.”
“This push goes hand in hand with the replacement of terms like "breastfeeding" with "chestfeeding" and "mothers" with "pregnant people". We are told again and again that this is inclusion. In truth, however, it is a total erasure of women, of who we are and of what we are as women. This is not about excluding anyone from compassionate care. It is about ensuring that our policies protect the most vulnerable and that decisions are guided by facts, not by pressure from activist organisations. Women deserve dignity, respect and healthcare that acknowledges who we are, not language and legislation that seek to erase us.”
“The whole purpose of the HRT scheme was a recognition of the difficulties women face as they go through menopause. We currently have 740 waiting lists for endometriosis surgery. We have women across the country on waiting lists who are desperate to see gynaecologists. Worryingly, there is a 12% negative difference in the five-year survival chances for women diagnosed with breast cancer in public hospitals versus those diagnosed in private hospitals. This is life-threatening to people around the country, and it is disappointing that the focus by other parties is not on these issues. They prefer to campaign to abolish the Dáil prayer or for HRT to be prioritised for trans women or for legislation relating to non-binary people.”
“I want to raise a concerning development regarding the hormone replacement therapy, HRT, scheme. Recently, the Chair of the Oireachtas health committee has been pushing to expand the free HRT scheme to include trans women. This totally ignores the difficulties and struggles of biological women who are going through the menopause. It is deeply misleading to suggest that excluding trans women is discrimination. The medical purpose of this scheme is to support menopausal women. Our healthcare resources should be directed where there is a need, not where ideology demands they should go. There is a question of when and where this constant pushing of ideology will end. What is next? Are we going to fight for biological men to have access to free smear tests?”
“For example, in 2021 and 2022, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, transferred unused funds that had been allocated to schemes for Traveller and Roma communities and Magdalen laundry redress. He allocated €1.1 million to various LGBTQ+ initiatives. Are there potentially any unspent funds that could be allocated to ensure these survivors receive HAA cards and contributory pensions? I ask the Minister and Government to look at what they can do to address this situation.”
“This response is not good enough. While I understand the legal and financial limits, I would argue the State still has the ability to act to support these people. Their requests are small and practical. A contributory pension and a HAA card do not require reopening redress schemes. There are existing supports that could be made available to people who have clearly been failed by the State. It is not generous to give a contributory pension to people who are victims of forced labour; it is the bare minimum. To say the scheme is closed and to do nothing risks repeating the same failure. These people endured abuse, often without family support, and now face old age without proper assistance. There are social protection and welfare mechanisms that could be used to help them.”
“They are practical measures that would give survivors some dignity, security and recognition that the State acknowledges its own failures. Does the Government have any plans to address these concerns? What will it do to bring an end to this hunger strike?”
“I am aware that these vulnerable people are essentially being left out in the cold, but they are not for giving up. Legislation is not set in stone, but the Government is using that assertion in some of its letters to the victims. The Government amends and introduces new legislation all the time. This is not a viable argument against helping people who were failed so badly in the past. These survivors are among the most vulnerable in our society. Their asks are small, but the signal it would send is significant - that the State takes its responsibilities seriously even decades later. They are asking for limited support, namely, a contributory pension and Health (Amendment) Act, HAA, card. These are not extravagant demands.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming in to speak on this important issue. I am deeply concerned about what has been going on for three weeks outside of the gates of Leinster House. As we speak here, there are four survivors of industrial and reformatory schools camping outside the gates on hunger strike, one man and three women who suffered abuse in institutions run or sanctioned by the State and have lived for decades carrying the effects of that abuse. They are making a stand. I am worried for their welfare. One of the women has developed a chest infection and is on antibiotics. Despite this, they are still committed to their cause and show no signs of giving up. There has been little movement from the Government on this.”
“They received a State apology from the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, but apologies mean little when the Government does not back it up with financial support. Their asks are very modest considering the hardship they have endured. All they are looking for is a HAA card and access to the State contributory pension. It is scandalous to think they were forced into unpaid work for years and will receive no contributory pension. I raised this issue on Thursday and I asked for statements on it. Again, I was ignored. I was not even mentioned in the Leader's response, so I will ask again. People are outside of this building on day 17 of a hunger strike and we are totally fixated on Gaza, the presidential election and the budget. I want the matter to be addressed before it escalates.”
“There are so many hard-working people across cumainn who go out postering, leafleting and canvassing. They give up their spare time in the summer and winter months for their party. I have done this. We have all done this for our parties. How are they rewarded by the leadership of their parties? Their opinions, voices and expertise are ignored time and again. Because of this ongoing debacle, the budget and Gaza, important stories and cries for help are falling through the cracks of the media cycle. Hunger strikers have been outside the Department of agriculture for the past 17 days. These brave people are survivors of industrial and reformatory schools. These vulnerable individuals should not be left to languish outside the gates of Leinster House and the Department of agriculture.”
“Even though the budget is being announced today, the media focus is still quite fixated on the presidential election. The resignation of Jim Gavin means there is a further narrowing of options for voters. It is so disheartening for the entire voting population and those who do not feel either of the candidates represent them. We had the opportunity to nominate an independent candidate and, unfortunately, Members of the Oireachtas did not listen to the electorate, which is something we like to pride ourselves on. People are calling for an internal review into what happened with Jim Gavin's campaign and how poorly he polled before his decision to resign. There does not need to be a review to know the fundamental problem, which was putting one person's wants over those of members. It is that simple.”
“I support Senator Gallagher in what he said about modular accommodation. I am disappointed that there is not a better answer than what the Minister of State outlined, although I know it is not her Department. I am extremely disappointed for the staff, who are juggling all the time. They constantly have to come up with new ideas. They did that for their SEN class and now they are really stuck and they need a dig-out on it. I have outlined previously the issue of the schools surrounding this school all bursting at the seams. Where are these 37 children to go? The issue needs to be addressed urgently.”
“There is actually no place for them to go. My question is simple: where are 37 students supposed to go if the Department does not intervene before the end of the month?”
“Thirty-two students are being bused from Cavan town to Belturbet school because of a lack of space in schools in Cavan town. In 2020, Bailieborough Community School was approved for an extension twice its size. That school is overflowing with students and is waiting five years having been approved for an extension. That project is still at stage 2B. Another neighbouring school is in Kingscourt and due to a lack of space it is overflowing with students. In 2021, the school was approved for design stage 2B. Virginia College is another school that these pupils could attend and the same situation applies. In 2020, the school was approved but school works have not commenced. Teachers, principals, and students are being put in an impossible situation. It is not like these students can go some place else.”
“Last year, the school opened an ASD class by changing one of its mainstream classrooms. This stopgap cannot be repeated because there is simply no more space to reconfigure classrooms. The principal submitted an additional school accommodation, ASA, form in February, but there was no update from the Department. Rather, there was only an automatic response acknowledging the application with inaccurate details the principal has since tried to address, with no success. The deadline for offering school places is 30 October 2025, which is a mere two weeks away. The school finds itself in an incredibly difficult situation as they urgently try to find space rather than turn away students. This is not a problem with Cootehill only. I will give an idea of where Cootehill is located. The next secondary school north of Cootehill is in Cavan town.”
“I welcome the support of Senator Gallagher, my neighbour from Monaghan, on this issue. Principals do not like to get politically involved or seek support, but sometimes it comes to a point where they feel they have no other option. I want to raise the issue of the lack of spaces in St. Aidan's Comprehensive School in Cootehill. I was contacted by the principal because the school is facing a major problem again this year with space and accommodation due to the high numbers of students. By August 2024, the school will have 700 students. Its existing building has a lack of space and even though it was granted a traditional build project in 2021, four years later the project is stuck at design stage 2B. The school will be forced to cap enrolment and turn 37 children from local feeder schools away.”
“They have been on hunger strike for 12 days and are showing no signs of giving up. One of the ladies out there is 74 years-of-age. When I spoke to her, I felt she was very fragile. We cannot leave survivors of abuse sitting out in the cold while we all head back home to our constituencies at the weekend. The most vulnerable people in our society should not have to take such drastic action to be heard. I ask that the Minister comes to this Chamber and makes a statement on this today.”
“Everybody seems to be banging their heads off the wall. I admire his courage and bravery. I raise a matter that has gone under radar because of the all of the other matters being brought up here. As far as I know, there has been zero media coverage on it. I am not sure how many people know that there are four people outside the gates of Dáil Éireann on hunger strike. They are victims of industrial and reformation school abuse and they are looking for justice. I met with them two days ago and they have very reasonable asks: access to a Health (Amendment) Act card and a contributory pension. I understand that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, met with them and had nothing concrete to offer them. This needs to be addressed before the situation escalates. I am extremely concerned for the well-being of these survivors.”
“Morale among the gardaí has been hit hard and the community feels ignored. It is deeply unfair to expect front-line gardaí to work out of these conditions while announcements keep coming from Dublin with no follow-up. The least the Government and the Department can do is be honest with us. Do not tell us that it will be quarter 1, 2 or 3 only to push it out further next year. That is unfair and erodes public trust. Is the Minister of State committing to having works completed in quarter 1 of 2026?”
“I thank the Minister of State for his reply but it is just not good enough. I hate to repeat myself but this station was announced ten years ago. Work started almost three years ago and yet the people of Bailieborough were again told to wait. In 2023, they were told to wait and again in 2025. Now it will be 2026 but the Minister of State is still being vague. It will be early 2026, not even quarter 1 or quarter 2. It would laughable if it were not so serious, particularly for the gardaí who are working out of that station in substandard conditions. We have been told it is complex, which the Minister of State said again, that it is conservation work and supply chain issues. People are fed up hearing why it cannot be done and just want to see it finished. The current station is falling apart.”
“We need a clear, credible timeline for completion that the public can actually trust. When will the station be completed and in use?”
“The building was originally an RIC barracks and was condemned in a subsequent report. A load of parliamentary questions have been submitted by local representatives spanning as far back as 2015, and time and again the Department has responded with vague answers. I had to read back through these and read over and over how a completion date could not be provided as it was a complex process. This speaks to a certain incapability within the Government. How can it be the case that there is no set timeline for planning and no repercussions for many years of delays? The situation is completely inadequate and draws into question the competence of the Government in dealing with larger projects when it cannot progress one headquarters in one town in one country. The people of Bailieborough are tired of excuses and the gardaí are tired of waiting.”
“That would still have meant a completion date in late 2023, which eight years from 2015 is still very disappointing. We now know that the opening is not expected until 2026 at the earliest. To be honest, I and the residents of Bailieborough have no faith that this will materialise either. Meanwhile, gardaí still operate out of dilapidated buildings on Barrack Street in the town. The O'Higgins report described the conditions there as deplorable. That was years ago, but despite a new divisional headquarters being a priority, nothing has changed. Bailieborough is no small outpost as it is a Garda district headquarters under the new policing model. A cybercrime unit is also promised for the new station, yet gardaí are left to work in facilities that are not fit for purpose.”
“People on the ground are very frustrated. They have been hearing whispers of a new Garda station in Bailieborough since 2007. Since then there has been delay after delay. This saga stretches back almost two decades. In 2015, a new Garda station was announced, as a priority. Does the Government call a ten-year wait a priority? In 2016, we were told that the OPW was in legal negotiations. In 2017, it was still in legal negotiations. In 2018, a site was sourced. At the end of 2018, we were told that planning would be soon lodged. In 2019, tenders were being prepared. In 2020, we were told contracts were expected shortly and, in 2021, the same again. In 2022, we finally saw work begin and we were promised completion in 20 months.”
“Are we going to pour more money into an action plan that sounds good but gets us nowhere closer to the eradication of TB? I have yet to be convinced. There is genuine will here to champion Irish agriculture and I welcome the Private Members' motion but, like many across the farming sector, I do not believe this Government is putting the interests of farmers first in Europe.”