Seamus Healy
Tipperary South · Independent · Ireland
“Across Ireland, 624,000 people provide regular unpaid care to children and adults with additional needs. A recent 2026 report on care shows that 75% of carers never received respite, 49% cut back on essentials such as food and heating, and 48% experienced severe loneliness.”
“Respite and residential services for persons with intellectual disabilities are in crisis. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities provides the right to live independently in the community with choices equal to others.”
“It states, "Our campaign started with a simple question: 'Who will provide the care my daughter needs when I am no longer able to care for her?'" It continues, "It is not uncommon to hear parents say; I would hope my son or daughter goes before me. Then at least I know he or she is safe.”
“What is needed urgently and what is called for in that submission is, first, an emergency funded plan in budget 2027 to address the needs of parents in their 70s, 80s and 90s who cannot wait for systemic change.”
“Down the centuries, generations of Irish men and women espoused the desire for a 32-county independent sovereign republic. As far back as the 1790s, Theobald Wolfe Tone, the father of Irish republicanism, focused on a vision of complete separation from Britain, the elimination of sectarian divisions and the unity of Catholic, Protestant a…”
“He saw partition as a reactionary device to divide the Irish working class. Again, how right he was. This Bill requires the Government to prepare and publish a Green Paper on Irish unity, convene a citizens' assembly, engage with communities and provide regular updates to the Oireachtas.”
The complete record
Every one of 510 lines we hold for Seamus Healy, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 11.
“The Government must stop failing children with additional needs. At the end of 2025, 20,209 children were on the waiting list for assessments of need. The majority have been waiting over two years and almost 95% have been waiting longer than the legal six-month limit under the Disability Act 2005. The Government is breaking the law every hour of every day. The Government threatened the Army on peaceful protesters, but it breaks the law willy-nilly. The waiting lists for therapy are also horrendous. Well over 40,000 children are on various waiting lists for CDNTs, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology. There is a chronic shortage of appropriate school places, some 170 classes short, representing hundreds of children. Many children are forced to accept school places outside of their communities.”
“In budget 2025, which was introduced October 2024, the Government found €2.2 billion to buy the general election which took place seven weeks later. It also has a €20 billion rainy day fund. It is pouring rain now, and it is time to use the fund for a proper cost-of-living package. Government decisions which continue to make this country dependent on fossil fuels mean we are very badly affected by energy shocks such as that we are currently experiencing. Trump and the US-Israeli war in Iran are directly responsible for this fuel shock. The Government's failure and refusal to stand up to Donald Trump, that far-right unhinged madman in the White House, means that he has been emboldened and now believes he can do what he likes. He has threatened to wipe out a whole civilisation.”
“This is an arrogant Government. It has not listened and is not listening. It has not listened to representative organisations, the public, TDs or Opposition parties. Several motions for a cost-of-living package have been debated in the House. My Private Members' motion in December calling for price controls on electricity, gas, fuel and food was arrogantly voted down. The recent packages are too little and too late. White diesel now costs 36 cent more per litre than it did at the start of the illegal US and Israeli war. Green diesel is through the roof, heating oil has almost doubled and petrol is substantially higher. There is nothing in the package for PAYE workers. They have been abandoned. The Government could and should have introduced a much bigger package. The claim that it does not have the money does not wash.”
“To add insult to injury, at the same time it gave hundreds of millions of euro to big developers and corporate landlords, and gave the guts of €690 million to the burger barons of the big fast-food chains. On top of that, the Government is presiding over a housing crisis, a disability crisis and a health crisis. Ordinary, decent, hard-working people are put to the pins of their collars to make ends meet. In the past week, the Government's arrogance insulted, abused and threatened peaceful protestors. That threat to call in the Army was absolutely shameful.”
“The Tánaiste and Taoiseach have left the Chamber. It is an insult to the Dáil and proof positive that not only will they not listen to the Irish people but they will not listen to TDs in this House. We have a cost-of-living crisis on top of a cost-of-living crisis, and that crisis has been deliberately worsened by Government policy, which favours the rich and powerful in our society and doubles down on the ordinary, decent working people and their families. In the teeth of a cost-of-living crisis, the Government abolished energy credits in this year's budget. It abolished social welfare supports, leaving thousands of families worse off by up to €1,400. It hiked up income tax on PAYE workers.”
“I ask the Tánaiste to intervene with the Minister for justice and the Garda Commissioner to have garda staffing levels increased to ensure the safety of the public and the safety of An Garda Síochána members across south Tipperary.”
“I want to raise the unacceptable levels of understaffing of An Garda Síochána across south Tipperary. It is now an absolute rarity to see gardaí on foot patrol on the beat. Staffing levels are so low that increasing numbers of gardaí are going on duty alone. I was contacted by a constituent at the weekend who told me that she had failed to make contact with a Garda station by phone at night. More distressingly, I was contacted by another member of the public who told me that a female garda on duty alone had been assaulted in Cashel on Friday. Thankfully, two members of the public came to her assistance. Garda staffing levels across south Tipperary are unacceptably low.”
“In my view, the Government must immediately reduce the cost of petrol, diesel and home heating oil, scrap plans to increase the cost of home heating oil on 1 May 2026, immediately pay a €400 emergency winter payment and increase the fuel allowance and extend its duration by at least four weeks. I support this motion.”
“The 2026 budget was predicated on a 2% inflation rate, and that rate was already being exceeded before the current crisis. Before the current crisis as well, we had 319,000 families in arrears with their electricity bills and 185,000 in arrears with their gas bills, and thousands more families are struggling to pay their bills and keep their heads above water. Families are facing an appalling financial vista as a result of this situation. The Tánaiste's Government is not only sitting on its hands but it is proposing to increase energy prices further from 1 May. We would wonder if this Government is real.”
“There has been a cost-of-living crisis in this country for a number of years. That crisis was, to some extent, addressed by way of energy credits and once-off social welfare payments in the 2025 budget. Of course, that was in the run-up to the November 2024 general election. It was a blatant device, obviously, to buy that election. Once the election was over, these measures were callously scrapped. The election was bought, and was done and dusted, and the Government did not do anything further except sit on its hands. The cost-of-living crisis for families is devastating as a result. On top of that, we now have the illegal Israeli-US war on Iran. This has sent energy prices, including those for petrol, other fuels and home heating oil, through the roof. These increased costs are already feeding into general inflation.”
“Paramedics employed by the National Ambulance Service work above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. Going out to work, they never know what difficulty or tragedy they may face. They undergo intensive training to qualify. This involves college, on-the-job training and a degree-level academic qualification. Successful qualification came with a commitment by the HSE of a permanent contract of employment. That commitment was reiterated to the current 76 trainees in an email which stated that a permanent contract will start from 29 December 2025 when results are received. Despite what is in the Taoiseach's briefing note, the HSE has now reneged on that commitment and paramedics have been told they must interview for their posts. This is a serious breach of trust by the HSE.”
“They have been completely secretive in relation to the parameters of their algorithms which they refuse to disclose either publicly or to governments. They prioritise trade secrets and commercial confidentiality over children's mental health. This is all about profit for social media companies. They use recommender algorithms because they believe that extreme and harmful content keeps people watching longer, allowing more time to show people advertising and harvest their personal data for marketing purposes. For instance, in 2023 Meta Ireland made €1.56 billion in post-tax profits in a very small market. The Bill sets out the detail of the legislation and provides that it will come into operation 90 days after promulgation by the President. It is deeply disappointing to say the least that the Government is opposing this Bill.”
“Third, it requires video-sharing platforms to facilitate users in choosing recommender algorithm parameters. The Bill applies to all video-sharing platforms defined under existing law and includes all the main social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and LinkedIn. Crucially, it provides for Coimisiún na Meán to incorporate the provisions in this Bill into the online safety code. The Bill is necessary because social media companies and the State have failed to act to protect children. Numerous studies show that social media recommender algorithms are bombarding children with harmful material, including material that promotes self-harm, anorexia, suicide and toxic content that promotes misogyny, racism and transphobia. Up to now social media has been largely unregulated, with no regulation that threatens their profits.”
“I welcome and support the Bill and I thank the People Before Profit Deputies for bringing it forward. It is vital legislation to protect children and to give adults the choice of opting in or opting out. All responsible bodies are calling for legislation like this, including the Joint Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the National Women's Council of Ireland and many more. The Bill does three main things. It bans video-sharing platforms from using recommender algorithms where they know the user is under 18 years of age or where they do not know the user's age, which is important. Second, for users over 18, it requires recommender algorithms not to use personal data unless the user has selected that option.”
“The statement must specifically address the housing needs of Gaeltacht areas, promote the retention of Irish-speaking residents and align development with language plans and address depopulation in Gaeltacht areas. These measures must be taken urgently and I urge that they are done at the earliest opportunity.”
“Airbnb has taken over the whole short-term rental market so there are very few long-term rental houses available. The short-term letting and tourism Bill 2025 must ensure that housing stock in Gaeltacht areas is not just for the profit of Airbnb and booking.com but for the good of the Gaeltacht language community and for the vitality of the Irish language. The Minister for housing must immediately and without any further delay publish the national Gaeltacht housing planning statement. Guidelines on this were promised in 2021 but are still outstanding. This statement on guidelines is now promised for the first half of 2027. That is six years later and is simply not good enough.”
“There are little or no schemes of houses being built in Irish-speaking areas by housing authorities. Housing prices are high for the little housing that is available. There are planning restrictions on one-off houses in rural areas and a lack of rental housing and the rip-off cost of what is available. The housing crisis in Gaeltacht areas must be addressed to make sure that they will be a Gaeltacht in the coming years. Údarás na Gaeltachta must be given powers and funding to buy land and property to provide houses for Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht. A housing department in Údarás na Gaeltachta must be established to prioritise and build houses in co-operation with housing authorities and utility companies. Legislation will be required to do that and it should be introduced urgently.”
“The organisation has organised protests and has petitioned Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Ministers on the urgent need for housing in the Gaeltacht and challenged the Minister with responsibility for the Gaeltacht on planning guidelines and housing delivery. I also want to compliment Tinteán, launched in November 2024, a national housing campaign aimed at tackling the housing crisis in Gaeltacht areas, a collaboration between Conradh na Gaeilge and BÁNÚ. It aims to bring together communities nationally to highlight the urgent housing needs threatening the cultural and linguistic heritage of these areas and, ultimately, the nation. The housing emergency in the Gaeltacht areas in Connemara, Donegal and Munster is undermining the Irish language and culture. There are four main difficulties in the Gaeltacht areas.”
“BÁNÚ, founded in 2023, is a Gaeltacht housing action group and advocacy organisation based primarily in Conamara and focused on tackling the housing crisis in Irish-speaking areas. It was formed in response to the lack of affordable and social housing and planning difficulties, and demands the right of local Irish-speaking communities to get housing in their own areas. It aims to prevent the depopulation of Gaeltacht areas, arguing that the housing crisis is eroding the Irish language and culture. The campaign for fairer planning guidelines, increased social and affordable housing and remediation of derelict and vacant properties is also an aim of the organisation.”
“The only way to deal with the housing crisis is by a declaration in law of a housing emergency, a right to housing in the Constitution, large-scale construction of social and affordable housing by local authorities on public land, rent reductions, a rent freeze and the purchase and refurbishment of vacant and derelict properties by local authorities for housing applicants. There are, of course, specific issues that relate to the Gaeltacht. I want to compliment BÁNÚ for its work on the housing issue in Gaeltacht areas. The word "bánú" tells a tale. It is an emotive Irish phrase referring to a place left deserted without energy or life. The fear is that if housing in Gaeltacht areas is not tackled successfully this will become reality.”
“Molaim an rún seo maidir le tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Is fadhb an-tábhachtach í do mhuintir na Gaeltachta i gConamara, Dún na nGall agus Cúige Mumhan agus don teanga agus don chultúr. I welcome and support the motion. It is of vital importance to the Gaeltacht and the Irish language and culture. Difficulties with housing in Gaeltacht areas is of course part of the housing emergency that exists in the State, an issue that continues to undermine the very fabric of our society. Failed Government policies have resulted in 17,000 homeless people, along with almost 5,500 homeless children, exorbitant rip-off rents, skyrocketing house prices, large numbers of young people living in their childhood bedrooms and even larger numbers locked out of home ownership.”
“When will the Government re-establish town and borough councils and will they be in place in time for the local elections in 2029?”
“Local government is the beating heart of democracy. That heart was torn out of democracy in 2014 with the abolition of town and borough councils. The latter were replaced by committees with no powers, no functions and no funding. This has done serious damage to towns across the country in the context of their economic and social development. It is now widely acknowledged, even by a former leader of the Labour Party, Brendan Howlin, that this was a very bad decision. The local government task force established to examine the position held its first meeting on 26 June last year. Its report and the recommendations in it were to be with the Minister within a six- to nine-month period. We are now at the end of the eighth month of that period. Has the Minister received the report?”
“The roll-out of that type of direct GP service must increasingly focus on areas that are underserved, such as deprived areas. Many GPs are now finding it difficult to take annual leave and that is something that needs to be tackled as well. A national locum panel should be established to address the situation. All health services should be provided free of charge at the point of use based on medical need. A two-tier system does not serve the public well. As a start to that process, free GP services, at least for all those under 18, should be introduced immediately by the Government.”
“Increasingly also, patients are finding that it takes a week or more to get a consultation. The situation needs to be tackled. Anything up to 200 additional GP training places must be provided through an expansion of the current scheme in hospitals, training in GP surgeries and on GP training schemes. That will not solve the problem. In particular in rural and deprived areas we need GPs to be directly employed by the State through the Health Service Executive. That service should be rolled out initially in rural areas, where it is almost impossible to get replacement GPs. We have regularly seen in south Tipperary that when a single-handed GP retires, the vacancy is almost impossible to fill. In one case I recall it took over 18 months to fill a vacancy.”
“The World Health Organization recommends a ratio of one GP to 1,000. The ratio in this country is almost double that, at 1:1,750. In some areas, as has already been said, it goes as high as 1:3,500. Rural areas and areas of deprivation are worst served. A third of the population of the country live in rural areas but only 10% of GPs work in those areas. A substantial number of GPs are now heading for retirement. There are something like 600 over 65, with half of those - 300- aged over 70. As a result of all that, as was recently shown in a report, it is difficult for new patients to be registered. Two thirds of practices in rural Ireland are not accepting new patients and, generally speaking, it is about half. I see that almost every day in my constituency office where people are coming in saying they cannot get registered with a GP.”
“Early access to primary medical care GP services is a fundamental basis for a good quality, safe and effective health service. GPs play a very important role in looking after patient care, ensuring early intervention and providing care in the community. I compliment the excellent service provided by GPs, practice nurses, therapy staff and administrative staff in GP practices right across the country. GP services are under severe pressure. Many GPs are overworked, burnt out and increasingly find it difficult to take annual leave. The service needs support and it needs reform. The Economic and Social Research Institute suggests that 1,200 new GPs will be required by 2040. The Irish College of General Practitioners put that figure much higher, at 2,000, due to an ageing population and population growth.”
“The current situation, where a child with autism who is overwhelmed, a child who is anxious and unable to learn without adult support, a child who needs help with communications, a child who needs help with social understanding or a child who needs help with emotional distress or sensory difficulty does not qualify for a special needs assistant, simply has to change. That is what the protests are about, and those protests are going to continue until that situation changes.”
“The core issue is the criteria by which a child with special needs is allocated a special needs assistant. The current situation is simply untenable and unacceptable. It is outdated, too narrow and does not reflect the duties currently being carried out by special needs assistants in our schools. The contribution of the Minister indicates to me that last week's pause was simply a cynical exercise to buy time, and that the climbdown last night, welcome as it is, was forced by protests on the streets and protests promised for tomorrow and the weekend.”
“Then they have to look for an assessment of need for which there are huge waiting lists of over two and a half years, even though time and early intervention are absolutely vital. Many of them have to scrimp and scrape to go privately for an assessment and a diagnosis. Then they have to fight to get a school place. They may have to go to the High Court for that. When they get a school place it may be anything up to 25 miles from their home. I had a case of that only last year. Parents are under pressure from day one and are running on empty, with huge levels of stress, anxiety and sleeplessness. Earlier today, the Taoiseach refused to answer the core question in this whole issue. Again, the Minister refused to address it in her contribution this evening.”
“I am genuinely shocked at the Minister's response to this motion. Last week, the Government and the Minister spread fear, trepidation, confusion and chaos across this country for parents, special needs assistants and entire school communities. There is not even a mention of an apology or an "I am sorry" in her contribution. That is disappointing, to say the least. It indicates to me that the Government does not understand what it has done to parents, special needs assistants and school communities over the past couple of weeks. Parents of children with special needs have to fight and advocate for everything for their child. The minute they discern the slightest problem, there is anxiety, stress and sleepless nights.”
“What we here, the public, parents and special needs assistants want to know is whether those criteria will be used and extended into the future.”
“The Taoiseach has had four opportunities to answer the core question in relation to this issue this afternoon but he has refused to do so. He has taken the opportunity to deflect at all stages in the four contributions. As anybody involved in education, and particularly in special education, knows, the core question in this whole debate is the criteria that are to be met if a child with special needs is to get the assistance of a special needs assistant. The current criteria are too narrow. They are outdated and primarily based on primary care needs. They do not include children who have social misunderstanding, children with sensory difficulties or children who are on the autistic spectrum or some of the other spectrums. Everybody involved in education knows that is the key question.”
“Trained special needs assistants and trained special needs teachers are angels. The child begins to respond and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Last week, the Government turned off that light. It created fear, trepidation and confusion. The so-called pause last week was a smokescreen to buy time. Last night's climb-down is a sticking plaster at best. Parents of children with special needs and special needs assistants need to know that the criteria for getting a special needs assistant will include not just primary care needs but, for instance, a child with autism who is overwhelmed or an anxious child who is unable to learn without adult support and without help with communications and for social understanding-----”
“Parents who can manage it deprive themselves to scrape together the fee for a private assessment. Armed with that diagnosis, the fight begins again for services. The next hurdle is a massive waiting list for those therapy services, such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and so on. By now, parents are running on empty, stressed out, anxious and not sleeping. Despite the need for two incomes to keep a roof over their head, one parent frequently has to give up work. This is more stress - financial stress. The next hurdle is a struggle to get their child an appropriate school place. They may have to go to the High Court to get that. The eventual place may be anything up to 25 miles from home. However, then there is the huge relief of getting an appropriate school place.”
“Parents of children with special needs have to fight for everything. It is a rollercoaster of anxiety and stress. Early warning signs usually show around six months, but support of relatives and friends suggest it is a little bit slow and it will come right. However, at 12 months, things like a vacant stare or little or no baby babble spark real concerns. The anxiety, stress and sleepless nights for parents start in a real way. By 18 months, missed milestones confirm a problematic future and the fight for parents begins in earnest. The first hurdle is the assessment of need. Thousands of people and children, over 20,000 of them, are on waiting lists: over two and a half years of waiting at a time when a diagnosis and treatment is absolutely vital.”
“Obviously, health and safety guidelines must also be included in the legislation, which will include things such as workstations and mental health. Particular groups such as carers and staff with particular health needs must also be covered in legislation. I welcome and support the Bill and I thank Deputy Lawlor for tabling it.”
“A recent survey by the Fórsa trade union found that 86% of members were interested in remote working and 80% were interested in the hybrid situation of working at home and working in the office. A legal framework must also cover areas such as protection against forced returns to the office. An arbitrary, blanket or full-time return to the office should be outlawed. There must be a right to disconnect. Workers must be protected from a situation where they are forced to work after working hours. It must also be voluntary. It must not be a compulsory situation. Workers must have the right to opt in or out. There must be an equality of rights between remote workers and office workers. The former must have the same rights, protections and promotional opportunities as office staff.”
“Addressing this issue of remote working in the Chamber on 21 January last, I said, "These working conditions must be based on a legal framework, giving an entitlement to these arrangements." This Bill, which I warmly welcome, does just that. It gives workers a clear, enforceable legal right to work remotely and ends refusals based on tradition, preconceived ideas, antagonisms and vague and spurious reasons. Remote working is here to stay. It is more productive, more family friendly and reduces unnecessary travel. It coincides with transport, climate and housing policy and helps, of course, to regenerate rural Ireland. The Bill is also timely as we have seen recent moves by banks, IT companies and even Government Departments attempting to force workers back to the office. There is a real appetite for this type of working.”
“It is no wonder that many of the brightest and the best are to be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto, Boston, London and the Middle East. This housing emergency is undermining the very fabric of Irish society. The social contract between the State and the public has collapsed. Stopping the purchase of family homes by investment funds would be a small but significant start in repairing that damage.”
“Last weekend, a feature in the Sunday Independent showed that even when both people are working, couples cannot afford to buy a home and, of course, cannot access a local authority housing list. A teacher from County Wicklow spoke about the situation in a recent edition of InTouch , which is the monthly magazine of the Irish National Teachers Organisation: I am a qualified Irish teacher in my early 30s. Despite holding an AP2 post, home ownership is still out of reach. On a post-2011 pay scale, my salary cannot meet today's housing reality. The average house in Wicklow now costs close to €400,000 - far beyond what one income can support. Even with a partner earning the same, buying is still not feasible.”
“We can throw into this mix the fact that institutional investors continue to bulk purchase family homes. This drives up prices and deprives ordinary families of homes. Investment funds purchased 2,000 houses between May 2021 and the end of 2025, attracting the higher rate of stamp duty. This is the tip of the iceberg because these investment funds can buy up to nine houses at a time without attracting the higher rate of stamp duty. It is no wonder that teachers, gardaí, nurses and many middle-range public servants cannot buy a house. Many are condemned to long-term renting at unaffordable rip-off rents, or must stay in the box room of the family home.”
“Homeownership is very dear to the hearts of Irish people. It should be a reasonable hope of any family but homeownership has nose-dived and is sadly now a dream rather than a reality. Property prices have increased by over 47% since 2020, locking large numbers out of homeownership, and driving those lucky enough to secure a house into debt. The housing emergency in the State is driving middle and low-income families into whatever private rented accommodation that is available at extortionate rents. Meanwhile, the corporate landlords, the institutional investors and the big developers make handsome profits. Unaffordable rip-off rents mean that couples cannot even save towards a deposit. Rents are now as high as €2,500 per month. Families cannot save. In fact, families are living week to week.”
“When will people with intellectual disabilities and their families be included in the decision-making process for these residential places?”
“The Before We Die campaign advocates for the availability of choice and quality residential housing for adults with intellectual disabilities. The question that all parents, especially those in their 70s and 80s, ask is this: "What will happen to my son or daughter when we are no longer able to care for them?". A parent told me recently that the very thought of this keeps them awake for nights on end. There is no answer to the question. Years of underfunding and lack of planning mean that the system is in crisis. Ageing parents, who may be ill themselves, are left carrying the can. When will the Government provide the additional 900 supported residential places that are needed? When will the waiting times for adults needing this type of accommodation be reduced?”
“Retired An Post and Eir workers, some in wheelchairs, protested outside the Dáil yesterday to have agreed increases in their pensions approved by the Government. Those increases have been agreed by the company board, the scheme's trustees, the Communications Workers' Union and actuaries. Some of them were due from 1 June 2025 but cannot be paid until they are approved by the Ministers for communications and public expenditure and reform, respectively. The increases in question will give pensioners little more than the State pension and are capped at about 2% for years despite high inflation rates. The delay in payment is causing real hardship. Pensioners have been waiting for months for these increases. Both the cost of living and bills are going up all the time. When will the Minister, Deputy Chambers, sign off on these increases?”
“The Office of Public Works must take Clonmel as the template, and must significantly shorten the time it takes to put schemes in place.”
“He had to go to work by boat from the steps of the town hall during the highest recorded flood in 1925. Fast forward 70 years to 9 February 1995, and his grandson - me - as Mayor of Clonmel, emerged from a successful public meeting called to stop the closure of Kickham Barracks in the town, only to find that I could not get home to the Old Bridge area because of flooding. I had to be transported by the Army in a lorry. I thank the Army for that. It has done tremendous work over the years. The campaign for flood defences started that night, but it took 17 long years - far too long - and involved too much hardship and too much damage to homes and businesses. Clonmel is a template of what can and what must be done.”
“Clonmel is finally a good news story where flooding is concerned. We have our flood defences in place on the basis of a one-in-100-years flood that happened previously. They have stood the test of time over the past ten to 12 years, much to the relief of householders and businesses across the town. However, it took forever to get them. I hope that places like Midleton and Enniscorthy do not have to wait as long or endure more floods before defences are put in place. Clonmel has a history of flooding that dates way. The River Suir consistently flooded both the town and hundreds of homes and businesses from the Old Bridge right along the quays and up to Irishtown. My grandfather Patsy Meaney worked for Clonmel Corporation in the gasworks on the old Waterford Road in Clonmel.”
“As I said, other countries in the EU, such as Spain, France, Denmark, Greece and Portugal, have gone on their own. We must do the same and we must do it quickly.”