Sinéad Gibney
Dublin Rathdown · Social Democrats · Ireland
“Unfortunately, those are still not entirely clear. Although the Windsor Framework did look to enshrine that policy of no diminution of rights and the non-divergence of rights on either side of the Border, that has not been clear in how it is going to play out.”
“I want to raise one specific sector. Within my portfolio, the culture sector is a good example of where we could see a much better offering in the joining together of the two economic activities. For example, we have a very vibrant production sector for film and television.”
“The other word that is important to bring into any economic discussion and fiscal discussion around a united Ireland is "holistic" because, unfortunately at times, I see the Government looking at the economy as a discrete part of society and neglecting things that fall outside of economic discussion, economic imperatives, and policymaking…”
“There are ways that we can see how our governance of this jurisdiction can be improved simply by the opportunities that will be presented by opening up constitutional change and the discussions that we are all going to have about how we govern ourselves right now and how we may govern an entire island of Ireland.”
“When the Minister of State referred to office roles in Brussels, was he describing roles in NATO headquarters? The international forces the Minister of State is describing are exactly like the coalition that invaded Iraq.”
“I look forward to coming back to the topic of the triple lock in a few questions' time. I have read with extreme concern the reports over the past week on the lack of support provided by the Department of Defence to Women of Honour, whose members are participating in the Defence Forces tribunal.”
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“We are seeing a clear breach of the public sector equality and human rights duty because people in similar situations are being treated differently by public bodies. We are seeing this inequality continue to intensify rather than be addressed. Time and again, the State expects families affected by defective concrete blocks all across the west of Ireland to navigate a complex, piecemeal and, at times, nonsensical system to get some form of redress. They are being treated differently than those in the Leinster schemes. Failing to uphold the human rights of these families costs them not just their dignity but also the rights to a home, to be treated with respect, to privacy and to health.”
“Under this Bill, particularly section 15, we are still faced with the issue of homeowners trapped in a flawed process whereby the chartered engineers they must hire to assess their homes conclude that their homes require demolition, only for the Housing Agency to overturn those decisions and decide, without ever seeing a house, that it does not need to be demolished. Appeals that were lodged over the past two years are coming back, one by one, overruling those downgrades. Why are we tinkering around the edges of this issue and forcing these families to wait even longer when we know what needs to be addressed urgently? Many people in the Chamber have spoken about the human rights impact.”
“The March 2024 cut-off date will continue to leave some homeowners behind. It does not fill me with confidence in a context where we are supposed to be righting a wrong that is arguably at least partially the State's wrong. The cut-off date represents an arbitrary line between those who do qualify and those who do not. This is despite the reassurances given to these very people that they would not face this kind of penalty. I cannot understand why this Department and Minister are insisting on a cut-off date that guarantees that this matter will not be fixed and will not be made right by the State. I also want to touch on the issue I mentioned of downgraded homeowners.”
“Áine Sperrin, who both spoke to my office on the issue today and helped to inform my contribution. The people affected by defective concrete blocks have waited years for help. Today's rushed introduction of documentation is really problematic. In that context, the details of the changes unveiled at the eleventh hour represent the only urgency that is being shown in this process, which is the scrutiny of what is being put forward. It is absolutely vital to the families and communities affected by defective concrete blocks that we do this right and delayed publication, which impacts our ability to scrutinise the Minister's proposal, only undermines trust in a system that has already failed, and continues to fail, these people. This Bill leaves significant gaps for the affected families.”
“I appreciate the time to speak to this Bill, but I have to share the frustration that many others have expressed at how this has been handled and the fact we have only been able to access the Bill in the past number of hours. The Chief Whip addressed the issue on the Order of Business, but it will have a knock-on effect. She said we will have more time to debate the issue next week, but as somebody who attends the Business Committee many weeks, as deputy Whip of my own party, I know there is a queue of things we are all trying to get to talk about on the floor of the Dáil. I want to touch on a few key points about the March 2024 cut-off date, the downgraded homeowners, the remediation decisions based on IS 465 and the human rights impact. I want to give particular thanks to both Ms Marti McElhinney and Dr.”
“In the last couple of weeks, in the culture, communications and sport committee, we have identified that a good group of people who would be eligible for this or would potentially benefit from it is journalists, who are within the Minister's area. I also would like to raise again that seasonal farmers are another group. There are lots of groups in Irish society to which this could apply. If we let this pass by without capturing this data, learning from it and seeing how we can apply it to others, we are missing a trick.”
“I thank the Minister for the information. We share his passion for this programme. My concern is that it seems that a pilot was run and we are just getting another pilot. We need more certainty, more permanence and a broader cohort of people who can access it. I raised in previous sessions with the Minister the idea that a pilot should also be something that we capture the data from and potentially offer to other cohorts in society. At that time, he dismissed it. He said that he was just looking after his Department and that it was not fair to expect that he would be sharing those results with Cabinet colleagues to identify other cohorts in Irish society who could benefit from a basic income.”
“Will the Minister clarify? Will those who have been on the scheme be able to reapply? I share the same concerns that there is a six-month gap and people with disabilities are being penalised.”
“We in the Social Democrats welcome this programme. It has been wonderful. My office has spoken to dozen of artists who tell me that no matter the medium, the scheme has meant they have been able to produce more art, has helped them to have healthier and happier lives and has allowed their art to get to more people. There are paintings, sculptures, poems and plays that simply would not exist without this scheme. We genuinely feel passionately that it is a positive element. It is helpful to know that the eligibility criteria will be published as soon as possible because I know people in the artistic community are waiting with bated breath to understand how it will run. I think I heard in the Minister's answer that those who have been in the existing pilot will not be eligible for the second scheme, or did I get that wrong?”
“When I asked him about this, we discussed raising the issue of platforms as publishers, for example, as a way to start examining much more stringent and clearer ways in which we can build guidelines and safety standards into the online world that mirror what we expect in the real world. That is what we are looking for in order to address these problems at the root.”
“I am not saying that age verification cannot be used. Rather, I am telling the Minister that if it is used, it raises privacy concerns. My point is that it is not fixing the actual problem at the root because all of that nasty material remains online. We need to have recommender systems turned off by default because they are the issue. They are the things keeping our eyeballs on screens and making sure polarisation is driving clickbait and profit lines. There are fundamental ways in which these tech platforms need to be challenged that I do not see demonstrated by the Government. We had an exchange in committee a number of months ago where the Minister mentioned that he had raised age verification with tech companies.”
“I am not comforted that the EU level of action around this is adequate. We have a specific role to play, given that so many tech companies are headquartered here.”
“I thank the Minister. I have concerns. For a start, the focus being entirely on children and vulnerable people risks leaving behind the rest of the population. I am hearing more and more about age verification being a silver bullet to resolve everything. I have huge concerns about age verification, even if it is robust. It raises major privacy issues in that it would hand over official documentation to providers that have already proven that they do not respect our privacy. It has a cut-off point, which means that those who are not using age verification remain on a much darker Internet without those protections. We need algorithms turned off by default. The Minister referenced EU law and said that is the best place to deal with this, but even this week we have seen rollbacks on the GDPR and potential rollbacks on the AI Act.”
“Last week during Questions on Policy or Legislation, the Tánaiste mentioned that the Minister was preparing proposals around online safety to bring before the House and expected to introduce them by the end of the year. I am keen to hear about the details of that, in particular the role for Coimisiún na Meán and how people will be protected and whether those protections will extend beyond those under 16 years of age.”
“I am very familiar with the Commissions of Investigation Act and agree with my colleague that it has not yet yielded enough examples of human rights-compliant commissions of investigation, public inquiries or tribunals. It is up to the Government to use that legislation in the right way and meet the standards and obligations we have to be human rights-compliant in this inquiry.”
“We have clear systemic problems in our health service when children are being implanted with non-medical grade devices, when unnecessary hip surgeries are performed on children and when children who do need treatment cannot access it or are removed from waiting lists without their or their families' knowledge. These revelations came out piece by piece. We need a public inquiry that delivers for those affected and the publication of all reviews. We should not have to be here to talk about what we can do to give these families justice and services. They should have received timely care but it is left to us now to deliver on the broken promises and ensure change.”
“We are an incredibly wealthy country with billions of euro going into our health service. We have a national focus and public backing for issues to be addressed. We have a plan to fix the problems in our health system and to introduce an efficient, public and robust healthcare system in Sláintecare yet we still have children becoming inoperable because they have waited so long and children in pain while their families watch on given we seem to want to hide from our failures instead of addressing them. Children's Health Ireland has been plagued with scandal, with each new detail worse than the last.”
“They do not get to enjoy school, playing sport or hanging out with their friends without the worry of medication, pain and hospital appointments, or, even worse, no hospital appointment at all. My heart goes out to the family of Harvey Morrison Sherratt and all the children and families who continue to be affected by a lack of care for scoliosis and spina bifida. They deserve better from this State and we must deliver better. This constant crisis is unnecessary. In the face of repeated failures and the promise years ago from Deputy Simon Harris that no child would wait longer than four months for surgery, and in every new revelation about how these children and their families have been let down, most frustrating is that all this suffering is entirely unnecessary.”
“I welcome the opportunity for statements on this topic though I pushed for this to be questions and answers rather than statements given the sprawling nature of the issues that surround CHI. I want to cover three key points: the human impact on these families, the constant crisis, which is unnecessary, and the fact we seem to want to hide from our failures instead of addressing them as a State. It is important to spend some time reflecting on the human impact and the realities of the long and painful wait for spinal surgery in this country. These children are left in limbo and are denied the opportunity to enjoy their childhood and have the best possible chance at life. Long waiting times have resulted in children no longer being able to get surgery because their condition has progressed so much.”
“Finally, the last topic I wish to raise is around the use of Irish taxpayers' money to fund arms manufacturers. Is the Government raising any issues or resistance to Irish taxpayers’ money being used to fund arms manufacture as part of the competitiveness fund? In the context of both this question and the last one, it is not what the Minister of State is saying that I am questioning because I hear what he is saying and all the narrative and rhetoric. Rather, I question what is actually going into law. That is my issue with regard to the digital omnibus we have just discussed. I hear all of the messages but, unfortunately, we are gutting and hallowing out the AI Act and GDPR from within, just like the Government hallowed out the term “neutrality”.”
“I asked earlier about the digital omnibus. I am curious to understand Ireland's position on this. Specifically, what is our stance on the digital omnibus and how will we be able to protect citizens against big tech if we are allowing GDPR and the AI Act to be gutted?”
“I have listened to the Government state consistently it is at the forefront. I am speaking about a specific example covered at the latest EU Council meeting: the suspension of visa-free travel. My party has identified this potentially as a way to find a lever the Government can pull that will have results. Is the Minister of State doing anything specific on this measure?”
“As I mentioned towards the end of my contribution, a key provision related to the Council meeting concerns the suspension of visa-free travel for particular groups. Human rights is one of the bases offered for that. Has the Minister of State given any thought to using this tool to extend sanctions against Israeli settlers and those involved in genocide in the West Bank? The proposal regarding the tool is currently on the table, submitted as it was by President von der Leyen. Has the Minister of State given any thought to it or pushed the tool as a means of pursuing action?”
“We have seen a dragging of heels on action at EU level and it is particularly vital, first and foremost, that the EU sanctions regime be expanded beyond the approximately 100 settlers, in recognition that all settlers in the West Bank are violating international law. In the absence of that, we need to push for action using every possible lever available to us and I encourage the Irish Government to do so. I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's answers.”
“I want to know whether this Government is taking this shift seriously and is willing to stand up for a Europe that is not a defence union, which is what people wanted us to do when they voted for the Nice and Lisbon treaties. My final point is about sanctions. A key provision in this Council meeting was the suspension of visa-free travel for particular groups or nationalities and human rights violations are cited as a possible ground for suspension. Has the Government given any thought to its use for those implicated in genocide in Gaza and those setting up and living in illegal settlements in the West Bank? Did it raise expanding the sanctions regime, particularly as the proposals brought by Ursula von der Leyen to do so are still on the table?”
“While arms manufacturers can sell their goods to European countries, they also supply Israel and many other global actors with their weapons of war. I am deeply concerned that we are seeing the EU come closer and closer to a defence union and that the narrowing of the definition of neutrality by this Government is serving the express purpose of sleepwalking the Irish people into exactly that. This is against the express will of the Irish people. I understand that other countries in Europe have different views on defence and neutrality from ours. That is why there are defence organisations for them, which Ireland is not a part of. This is even more of a reason that we need the Irish Government to resist the shift of the European Union into a defence union.”
“On the multi-annual financial framework, MFF, we need to see a system that delivers for member states, protects our future and ensures EU funding and support is directed at things that improve people's lives and support regional development and the cohesion of our societies. Particularly concerning are the plans for this MFF to be used to build a European defence union. This is not bluster or exaggeration; it is the exact wording from the Commission. While we talk about foreign affairs and defence being national competences, we sit idly by as EU funds, which Ireland contributes to, will spend five times more on defence, including unprecedented investment in the arms industry. Irish taxpayer money will be used to give handouts to arms manufacturers.”
“Will the Irish Government defend us from further deregulation of big tech? It has become clear in recent weeks that the Commission is out of its depth when it comes to understanding AI and is parroting industry lines that have no basis in reality. More than 200 scholars and scientists were so concerned about the rhetoric of the President of the Commission that they asked President von der Leyen to retract her comments. We cannot allow the tail to wag the dog on regulation of technology that can pose a threat to our democracies, health, communities, livelihoods and ability to trust the images and words put in front of us. If Ireland wants to be a leader in this space, we must defend the rights of our citizens at EU Council level.”
“In response to my party colleague Senator Stephenson, a commitment was made in the Seanad by the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, that the Irish Government would defend the four pillars of the directive, which are due diligence duty, an EU-wide civil liability regime, climate transition plan implementation and stakeholder engagement. It is unfortunate that he did not communicate the Government's position to his party colleagues in Europe. Now we have a potential omnibus deregulation package that, from the leaked draft, looks as though it is poised to dismantle data protection rules and the AI Act in a similar way, at a time when ordinary people want us to protect their data and to protect them from AI harms. Have the Minister of State and his colleagues raised this at EU Council level?”
“Ireland can play a powerful role in making Europe stand up for these principles and I have serious concerns that when it comes to defence, corporate regulation, the Mercosur trade agreement and the erosion of a social Europe, we are not raising our voice to an adequate volume. We cannot go with the flow on these issues if we want a Europe that works for everyone. In particular, I raise the status of any discussions at EU Council level on the digital omnibus and Ireland's position on it. A very serious piece of business that has recently passed through the European Parliament is the omnibus package on the corporate sustainability due diligence directive, on which Fine Gael MEPs allied with the far right to row back laws that guaranteed that slavery, child labour and environmental crimes would be kept out of our supply chains.”
“I condemn this week's attacks on Ukraine by Russia and particularly the deaths of civilians, including children. I extend my solidarity and that of the Social Democrats to all those affected by these latest acts in Russia's illegal war of aggression. Now more than ever, in particular in advance of our Presidency of the EU next year, it is crucial that Ireland assert itself at EU level on the issues we hold dear. Being a good European or member state does not mean being an uncritical one. That often gets lost in the discourse, but it is particularly important when we want to fight for a European Union that supports social cohesion, protects citizens from big industry and big tech harms and fulfils its original promise of being a peace project.”
“It threatens multilateralism and the rule of law. We need only look to the comparison with Russia to see this is the case. Above all, the lack of action is failing the people of Palestine who have endured the most horrific genocide and who continue to endure in the occupied territories brutal settlement practices by the Israeli Government. I add my condemnation of the Minister, on her first day in office, for failing to be here for this debate on what she says is her biggest priority.”
“We have already seen the legal advice that supports the inclusion of services. The Government has simply chosen to recreate legal opinions to support its political decision not to include services. The Government's lack of action is a betrayal of the trust the Irish people placed in it. We are a people who have a clear solidarity with the Palestinian cause that goes back decades and is unique across Europe and the globe. It gave us the opportunity to be the first to impose these sanctions and the first to take a case against Israel. Yet, we have wasted every opportunity to act on the mandate given to us by the Irish people. The Government's lack of action is a threat to global order. War crimes going unpunished will dismantle the decades of work people around the globe have done to maintain peace in our world.”
“These are the simple facts and I am trying to use simple language to move us away from the circular arguments and verbal dances the Government has created. Its two main arguments do not stack up. The Government says the Bill is impossible to implement or it is unsure how to implement it. In fact, we did the same thing more than ten years ago with Russia. We imposed the exact same types of sanctions, on both goods and services, on another state. We can do the same again. Indeed, it is even easier now because the EU-Israel Association Agreement means we must, by law, differentiate between goods and services from Israel and goods and services from the occupied territories. The Government's other argument is that there is a legal impediment. We have heard that argument shattered again and again today.”
“They are to pass the occupied territories Bill, include services and do it all by the end of this year. On 19 November 2025, nearly a year into my role as a TD, I cannot believe I must articulate the need to fulfil those commitments. Both Government parties were clear on their absolute and unwavering commitment to act and their recognition of the sentiment of our people that this must be done. Yet, the Government has continued to prevaricate, to step into circular arguments about the Bill being symbolic and that it will make no difference and to point to people over there doing things one way and say we cannot do anything different. It is a simple enforcement of international law to pass the occupied territories Bill and prevent the State from trading with a state that is occupying another.”
“I thank People Before Profit for bringing forward this motion. We in the Social Democrats are very proud to co-sign it. I thank the many parliamentarians since 2018 who have worked on this legislation, particularly Senator Black. I also thank the people in the Gallery - the activists who continue, on a daily basis across this country, to campaign in solidarity with the people of Palestine. The weekly vigil in Monkstown at 6 p.m. on a Sunday is a thing of beauty and has been running for almost two years. The Rathdown for Palestine group waves flags at passing traffic at 5 p.m. every Thursday. There is huge momentum and a huge sense of solidarity in this country. Yet, the Government chooses to ignore that and to continue on its path of inaction. I will reiterate the simple and succinct asks set out in the motion.”
“It is not about tucking them away at the kids table and only allowing them to speak when spoken to, but place them on an equal footing with all citizens. Cloister go minic an frása, “Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí”. Tá níos mó ná moladh ag teastáil, áfach. Caithfidh muid meas a bheith againn ar dhaoine óga agus glór a thabhairt dóibh nach bhfuil faoi smacht nó faoi bhráid duine ar bith. Tá muid ag cur oideachais saoránachta orthu agus, mar sin, ba chóir dúinn caitheamh leo mar shaoránaigh, ní mar lucht féachana ar an tsochaí. Is é sin atá i gcroílár an Bhille seo.”
“We have consistently heard from organisations like the ISSU and the National Youth Council as to how important it is to include the voices of young people in law and policy. It is not about engaging on our terms. It is also not just about engaging on youth policy. Young people have a lot to say on all of the issues society faces, not just what we decide are youth issues. We cannot say that we want young, active citizens and then insist, when it comes to big decisions, that they have no real say. On climate, on Palestine, on economic justice and, which is particularly heartening for me, on neutrality and peace, young people are leading the way. This Bill is about including their views and voices in our democratic system.”
“I am sure many of those in the Chamber today have had similar experiences. As a TD, I have spoken to many senior cycle classes in my constituency. What always strikes me is that they are engaged, informed, critical and thoughtful. Never mind what happens on the plinth or in this Chamber; the real hot seat in this job is a classroom full of 16-year-olds who want you to answer their questions. They bring a fresh perspective, which is informed and critically engages with the rhetoric they are presented with. It is not just a case of copying what their parents or friends think. They are people with opinions and with skin in the game, and their ability to engage with our democratic process needs to be supported and expanded. I welcome all of the representatives from youth bodies who are here today.”
“I thank Deputy Farrelly for all of the hard work he has done. I also thank all the Deputies who have spoken, particularly those on whose work we build. As we have heard, this is not our first time at this rodeo. This issue has been discussed many times here and on the floor of the Seanad. That is why I hope the Government can understand our frustration and disappointment with the timed amendment. It is just kicking the can down the road. If this research and these conversations need to happen, surely they should have been happening on the multiple occasions on which this matter, in its many iterations, has been brought before the Government in recent decades. The key points I want to make are that young people know their own minds, are crucial voices in policymaking and lead the way on many issues.”
“Children engage with the online space differently than we do, but the laws and policies we expect in real life are not replicated online in any way that meets similar standards of safety. Social media companies must be regulated, but it is not a legal framework alone that is required. We need to empower regulators and the Garda so there is adequate enforcement of those laws. The last time we had an exchange on this, the Tánaiste invited greater discussion, but can he tell me what active steps the Government is taking to improve enforcement specifically? Is he satisfied that bail conditions in this jurisdiction that require defendants to stay off the Internet are properly enforced?”
“Two incredibly disturbing cases this week have further highlighted the dangers that children face on social media. Alexander McCartney spent years grooming children, mainly on Snapchat, before abusing them. He was jailed in the North last year but a review of the case found he was free to continue to use the Internet and abuse children online while on bail. One of those children, twelve-year-old Cimarron Thomas, died by suicide during that period. In a separate case, a man was jailed in Dublin yesterday for the rape of two children, one of whom was just ten, after he met and groomed them, also on Snapchat. Snapchat, like other social media platforms, is supposed to have a minimum age requirement of 13.”
“Even though it has the powers, it has not enforced them. Similarly, if we do not get it right from the outset with the AI office - and we already see online all the ways in which AI can go wrong, for example the slot which is currently generated - it will mean people will not use AI or trust it. It will fundamentally undermine our democracy and society. It is important we get it right from the outset. I encourage the Minister to look at the Paris Principles.”
“I am glad the Minister raised public trust because I feel there is this kind of pushback against regulation in terms of losing our competitiveness, missing opportunities and America and China racing ahead with their AI development. The issue I have is that their development will lead to products built in a regulatory environment that will not have public trust. We must look at that regulatory space and make sure that even the requirements Europe is putting forward to us meet the standards we want here. We have heard from colleagues already this morning that they feel we should be best in class. Sometimes I hear from Government spokespeople that we are best in class. I do not believe that is the case. For example, I do not believe the Data Protection Commission, DPC, has proven its worth in the past number of years.”
“All of these regulatory functions are challenged by a lack of independence and inconsistency across those bodies. AI and what it is going to do to our society are such fundamental issues that we have to get this right from the outset. Rather than focus on speed, I want to ensure that we look for quality at the foundational level.”
“It is helpful to hear how much effort is going into the establishment of this office. I held two leadership roles in a State agency that is arguably the most independent. The national human rights institution in any jurisdiction is informed by the Paris Principles. We have to understand how that independence is going to be guaranteed in this instance. If the body originates from within the Department of enterprise, then I have concerns that conflicts exist which may create fundamental issues on the foundation of the organisation that will carry on into its future. It would be really helpful if the Department were to look at the Paris Principles and identify how we can ensure independence. Across the State agency sector, which is where many competent bodies sit, we have varying levels of independence, of powers of reporting and so on.”
“I thank Members for facilitating me. Will the Minister outline the means by which the transition of the new AI office to a fully independent statutory body will be managed? Will he provide some details in that regard, please?”
“The Department recently published the action plan on collective bargaining. The implementation of this plan is an important and welcome step towards better collective bargaining coverage, but there is no commitment to change the voluntary system of industrial relations. That system gives employers a veto on engagement with their workers collectively. Why is this the case?”
“I endorse the proposal from Sinn Féin. I wish to raise the issue of the occupied territories Bill because it was a key commitment in the election of both Government parties a year ago now, yet all we have seen since then is prevarication, delay and a weakening of the proposed alternative. Just six weeks ago, the Tánaiste said in this Chamber that it would be back in the Dáil to be passed before the end of November. My question is simple: where is it?”
“It is much more reasonable in recognising that there may need to be a few weeks for the Government to get its act together, but I do not see that it needs to be any longer than that.”