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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“What is being done in respect of both represents the worst traits of this budget and this Government - poor execution and wasted opportunities spun so hard they are incomprehensible. Small, independent businesses have been left high and dry to struggle on as the majority of business supports go to the big chains. The key parts of this budget that were lauded as a support for SMEs are funnelling money into the pockets of the big chains and multinational companies, while small local businesses have to count the pennies that come from their razor-thin profit margins. The excuses put forward by the Ministers for Finance and public expenditure on radio this morning boil down to the idea that they did not help SMEs because they wanted to protect the broader economy.”
“They wanted steps taken towards a public childcare system, and for the cost to be brought down to the price quoted to them on the doorsteps during the election campaign last year and in the programme for Government. They wanted children brought out of poverty. Not one single child should live in poverty. In our wealthy country, the height of this Government’s ambition is that 3% will grow up in poverty by 2030. They want more for their society, their community and their families than the Government has delivered. They know the Government made a choice to put big business and developers before ordinary people. I will speak to two specific matters, namely supports for small businesses and the basic income for the arts programme.”
“Ordinary people in my constituency of Dublin Rathdown are sick of hearing how great this country is doing economically when they are worse off, their services are under more strain than ever and they see no hope of any meaningful change to fix this. They were clear with me about what was important to them in the context of the budget. They wanted targeted measures in respect of energy costs that would allow them to keep warm in the approaching winter. They wanted housing that is actually affordable, not measures that better facilitate profiteering and make a mockery of the term "cost rental". They wanted the Government to make good on its promises regarding the abolition of the carer's allowance means test.”
“In this budget, the Government has clearly prioritised big business interests and big developers over ordinary people, ordinary families and ordinary businesses. It is a "McBudget". It is hard to swallow what has been put forward, particularly when the Government had the chance to lift 40,000 children out of poverty, help families who are struggling by providing targeted energy credits, introduce a cost-of-disability payment or turbocharge the delivery of affordable housing. Expensive measures like the untargeted VAT cut are a poor trade-off for the lives and futures of the people of Ireland. The Government had a menu of options available to it in this budget. It is heartbreaking to see it choose to spend money on items of little nutritional value to Irish society.”
“That said, is this agreement a place where we could potentially look at promoting Irish pharmaceutical products above those from other companies and making sure that consumers have the option of accessing the best medication to suit their medical needs while also matching their ethical concerns? Overall, I welcome this agreement and thank the Minister for her work on it.”
“We have heard details of the HRT scheme and the kinds of difficulties that arose earlier in the year when the Department attempted to roll it out. There were many issues but the work done by way of this agreement will prevent those kinds of difficulties from arising in the future. Finally, I want to raise an issue that I have not heard mentioned today in this debate, namely the place of origin of pharmaceuticals. A number of people in my constituency have raised with me that they want to choose where their pharmaceuticals are from. In particular, there are certain products on the market that are from Israel and they would like to be in a position to refuse to take those. I appreciate that this is not simple and that some pharmaceutical products and medications cannot not be replaced with others.”
“It is really important that we examine the issue of waste within the pharmaceutical sector and make sure that is not happening. In terms of the points raised by Deputy Rice, I would emphasise the access piece. Obviously, the Social Democrats are very proud of Sláintecare and the work done on it by our co-founder, former Deputy Róisín Shortall. The ethos of making healthcare as accessible as possible is absolutely at the forefront for us and must be at the forefront in this kind of work. For too long we have had disjointed relationships across our healthcare system. Community pharmacies do really vital work in giving advice, providing vaccinations and simply keeping us all well. That work needs to be further supported and integrated into the healthcare system.”
“We need to make sure that we have that two-way conversation between the Department and the Minister and the pharmacies themselves. I thank the Minister and the Department for the work they have done to get to this point. I also want to acknowledge the work of the IPU. Obviously, as a representative body, it has a tricky job in representing both independent pharmacists as well as the larger chain pharmacists. It has done a good job in getting us to this point. My colleague, Deputy Rice, has outlined a lot of the details in this agreement that need to be examined further. I would echo Deputy Ó Snodaigh's points around waste. I have been very frustrated by this at times. When one has medication and one's dosages go up and down, there is nothing one can do with medication that has not been used. Pharmacists are not able to take it back.”
“The relationship that many of us have with our pharmacists is often a very important one. To demonstrate that, there is only a handful of people on my Christmas baking list beyond my family, but my pharmacist is right up there at the top. I really welcome that in recent years we have seen the expansion of the role that pharmacies play in communities. They can be such a hub for support for many people and communities. In preparation for today's statements, I spoke with a local pharmacist, Ms Rebecca Goodwin from Roebuck Pharmacy, who was very helpful to me in explaining to me her feelings on this agreement. As we have heard from many Deputies today, this is a really positive step. It is a first step and is absolutely the right thing to do.”
“I echo Deputy Ó Snodaigh's comments on those with disabilities who have had issues with this scheme in terms of loss of medical cards and disability allowance. I urge that this be addressed in any next iteration of it.”
“I do not think we should confine this to artists; that is my entire point. I also push back on the suggestion of renaming of it. The concept of a "basic income" is something that has been championed for many decades now as a way to provide certainty and a safety net for many people who live with precarious labour. I mentioned farmers. There are seasonal farmers who have to spend months of the year signing on when we could look at a much more concrete way of assisting people in moving between the different contributions they make to society. I could mention caring as an example. We spoke about carers a lot yesterday. My point is that if we want to get the value of it as a pilot, the Minister, who sits at Cabinet, should be working across government to look at ways in which it could be extended to other groups.”
“I am thinking of small farmers, for example, carers, lone parents and disabled people. There are lots of ways in which basic income could be applied in different areas. If we want to get the best value out of a pilot, we need to think about that. The Minister needs to connect with all Ministers, particularly the Minister for Social Protection.”
“It is wonderful to hear all the analysis and statistics that are proving what a lot of us believe, which is that we have an economy that values a certain type of work. This type of pilot shows us there is other work that happens in society that should be just as valued and, when it is valued, we all benefit from it. It really is wonderful to hear that. I welcome the six-month extension but, like Deputy Ó Snodaigh, the artists I have spoken to live in this uncertainty right now regarding what will happen. We need some certainty as to what is going to happen. I would love to hear more detail on the interaction the Minister has had with the Department of Social Protection. The word "pilot" is crucial here. This is a pilot but there are so many other groups in society who would benefit from a basic income.”
“Thank you. As I was saying, it has been life-changing for artists but also for the rest of us as we benefit from their art. As the RTÉ ad says, "Ag tacú leis na healaíona, ag tacú linn." I have heard from many artists of how vital the scheme is. I am keen to ensure it is improved and extended. It is also a chance to explore a new model of how we support work that is a public good.”
“As a member of the culture, communications and sports committee, I intend to be vigilant and attentive to the balance we strike, as a State, between investment in grassroots and elite pathways funding. The kids in our local clubs need heroes to worship but also clubhouses to change in. Of course, for all of the clubs I have mentioned this evening from my area that have been fortunate to access this funding, there are many more that have unfulfilled aspirations and potential because of the lack of funding. Sport fosters community, sheds difference and celebrates the best qualities. Sport is a public good. It is through this lens that we must view these programmes and funds, and continue to push for better delivery for our clubs and centres.”
“John's GAA clubhouse during the summer. Many other countries have large-scale legacy infrastructure from hosting major tournaments and events, such as the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London after the Olympics. In Ireland, we do not have infrastructure of that nature so we must carefully plan for it to ensure our sports communities are adequately resourced. The large-scale sport infrastructure fund has started to deliver for our communities. The multisport campus on the Tibradden Road, which Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club enjoys, is one fantastic example of this, and many other groups will enjoy as it continues to develop. The Samuel Beckett Civic Campus in Ballyogan is another beneficiary of this fund and represents a real success of what can be achieved in partnership with local councils.”
“Its emphasis on making rugby fun and accessible is evident in every aspect of its work. As a former rugby player myself and a massive rugby fan, I was delighted to visit the grounds a few months ago for a ceremonial turning of the sod on its new clubhouse. The setting is stunning, nestled in the Dublin Mountains, and full of passion for this wonderful sport, one that caters for all different types of athletes. There really is a place for everyone on a rugby pitch. After decades of uncertainty and pitch leasing, the club now has a permanent home and is building that new clubhouse, which will cater for not only the rugby club but many other groups too. The value of these bricks-and-mortar homes for our clubs cannot be understated. This really hit home for me when I attended an event celebrating 25 years of the Ballinteer St.”
“The funding has been invested in equipment to support increasing numbers and teams across all age groups. While goalposts, equipment, team kits and medical kits are welcome, playing space is in short supply and high demand for teams in the club. This is why the club is seeking the development of a second pitch. Without it, the club will be forced to turn children away, which is something it desperately does not want to do. Stillorgan-Rathfarnham rugby club is another club in my constituency that is experiencing huge growth and has benefited from the sports capital grant. The club caters for a number of boys and girls and has a thriving adult section also. It is one of the most brilliant community rugby clubs, with great ambition for both the junior and senior sections while retaining a wonderful junior club ethos.”
“The delivery of this, through the sports capital programme and the large-scale sport infrastructure fund, has benefited over the past number of years our clubs, our councils and the NGBs that govern them. There is, however, much more that we need to do to support our amateur, professional and social athletes and their supporters and I would like to speak about a couple of great clubs in my constituency by way of example. Rosemount Mulvey FC is a football club in Dundrum. The club caters for all ages and abilities and runs multiple weekend morning academies and social and competitive teams. The club always seeks to keep participation up and prohibitive cost barriers down. Through sports capital funding, Rosemount Mulvey FC has seen huge growth.”
“The power of sport for inclusion, integration and community in Ireland is undeniable. Our towns, villages, cities and suburbs are all home to sports clubs that have become vital social hubs for people of all ages. In my constituency of Dublin Rathdown, sports capital funding, in conjunction with the time and dedication of volunteers, has meant that grassroots sport in our area has been able to swell membership across a number of codes and to welcome more people from our communities to share in the joy that sport brings. This funding to support the work of our clubs and the work of national governing bodies, for everything from equipment to facilities, is crucial.”
“What I am hearing is that families are being treated differently from students and not being given the access to the family reunification the Irish people want to offer them. I will finish by again emphasising that we, the Irish people, have given the Government a mandate to act but that it is failing to do so in the many ways I have mentioned but primarily in failing to bring families like Bushra and her son Mohammed's together again.”
“I appreciate that it is not simple and that there are difficulties in getting people out of Gaza right now. Bushra and the people supporting and surrounding her are very clear, however. They will remove those barriers if this Government shows its determination and willingness to bring her children to her. I will also put on record that I believe the Tánaiste and other Cabinet Ministers misled the Dáil in dismissing concerns from Members on this side of the House some weeks ago that the Government's reasons for denying visas for the Palestine GAA group were not actually child safeguarding issues. We have since learned that an official in the Department of justice communicated with the Minister of justice that the principal concern was overstay.”
“She had to leave her other children behind in the care of their elderly grandmother because her husband was killed in the same bombing that injured Mohammed and burned the passports of her three children who remain in Gaza. In that bombing, Mohammed lost one leg and severely injured the other. He has had 39 surgeries, 13 of them without anaesthetic. He speaks about his siblings every day. Bushra is desperate to the reunited with her children. I spoke with her before I came into the Chamber today. She put it so clearly, saying that this is life and death. It is a must. She speaks with her children but she cannot read them stories. She speaks to them to check that they are still alive. She was medically evacuated ten weeks ago. This Government promised family reunification but it has not happened.”
“It has not acted to stop our airspace and Shannon Airport being used to transport munitions and personnel. At EU level, it has not pushed with all of the might of a member state of the European Union for the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. The Tánaiste referenced this in his opening speech, referring to it as a sanction. It is not a sanction. It is the revocation of a privilege. We have not got near sanctions yet. All of that aside, I will focus my contribution on the issue of asylum and specifically on family reunification. I welcome to the Public Gallery today Bushra and her son Mohammed. I will tell their story. Bushra is a mother of four and was accompanied to Ireland by her son Mohammed as a medical evacuee.”
“I will pick up where I finished my speech on the Sumud flotilla yesterday. I was emphasising a point I have made again and again on this floor. This Government has a unique mandate, given to it by a population that is unwavering and unequivocal in our support for Gaza. Sadly, the Minister of State's Government has squandered this by not acting. We have heard the right words from it, but it has not acted on the occupied territories Bill, which remains unenacted a year after the election campaign in which the Government parties promised it and which it is watering down with the removal of services. It has not acted on addressing the role of our Central Bank in the approval of Israeli bonds. I realise that has now ceased but that was not as the result of Government actions.”
“The Government must start to recognise that is what it is and reassess the entire relationship this State has with care and start recognising it for what it is: professional care that is provided in the homes of many people across this country. The one stark way one can tell the difference is that those families that have means pay for carers. That is the difference. It is the families that cannot afford to that have to put in the hours themselves and care for people. Until the Government starts to recognise that fundamental "why" - why we need to reward carers in a professional way - we will never meet across that gulf.”
“The Social Democrats do not suggest that. We are putting forward a motion that offers a way for the Government to do this overnight. That "how" is one of the big gulfs between us and the Government, but the wider one is the "why" of this. It is the motivation. In his opening comments, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, acknowledged the great work being done by carers. I do not doubt the Minister of State means that, but I think he comes at it with a very different world view to us. I argue there are ways in which the Government views care which holds on to the very paternalistic, very charitable model of care and disability we have in this society. What he is seeing from us, all across the Opposition benches, is the opposite. My colleagues have spoken about the professional care that is delivered in the homes.”
“that the means test should be abolished. There is nothing between us on that." I will speak a little to the differences that we do have in both the how and the why. I am not going to go over the figures Deputy Cian O'Callaghan already put forward to show how we can do this. The Government can do this in one swoop with this budget. It can abolish the means test for carers. It can broaden the tax base. It can look at the other ways in which we can fund this, but instead this morning we get from the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, essentially a form of whataboutery. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, implied that by introducing this we would then have to penalise other groups in society, such as lone parents and people with disabilities. That is not what we are suggesting.”
“I thank my party colleague Deputy Quaide for bringing forward this motion. As a member of the Social Democrats, I am very proud to put it forward. I realise that the issue has been debated many times in the House, but we have a clear commitment from the Government to abolish the means test and we have a clear rationale for how to do that, yet the Government chooses to continue to hedge and dodge what it has to do. We have heard a lot of detail today, but I want to zoom out for a moment and talk about care more broadly, mar beidh cúram ag teastáil uainn uilig ag pointe amháin nó pointe eile. We all receive care over the course of our lifetime. Many of us will give care as well. It is really important to start from that point, because in his opening statement, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, said: "In short, we agree ...”
“The solidarity and volume of the voice of the Irish people with the people of Palestine as they go through these horrors gives the Government something no other government has: a clear mandate without obfuscation to act. I urge it to do so.”
“We need to engage diplomatically with the Spanish and Italian authorities, which have launched observer missions. We need to step up, if needs be, to provide whatever financial and logistical support we can. We have used our voice on the world stage before to come together to ensure safe passage and an end to siege. I admire the courage of those on the flotilla but, to honour it, we must match that courage with our own. We can and should act decisively. I will conclude with a point I have made in every contribution I have made on Gaza in the year I have been a TD, starting with my maiden speech. The Irish Government has a unique mandate not matched by any other government across the world.”
“Trump and Netanyahu's ultimatum threatening consequences should it not be accepted fills me with dread as the people of Gaza are once again threatened with annihilation in a process in which they have no voice. We have been here before. We must always push for peace and diplomacy but we do not need an agreement to be in place to prevent and stop genocide. In fact, we have an obligation under international law not to stand by or to wait and see. We have a positive obligation to do something. As regards what we can do to protect those brave humanitarians and support the flotilla, while this motion is very welcome, it is necessary to fulfil our obligations to the 22 brave Irish citizens, which include Members of these Houses, who are risking their lives on the flotilla. There is so much more we can do.”
“People die needlessly because they lack the most basic medicines, pain relief, shelter and clean water. When I speak with Irish healthcare workers, the stories they tell me are harrowing. They tell me of trying to treat patients and save lives in a health system that has collapsed, that has been bombed and that is threatened. We must not allow the destruction of a people to continue without doing everything in our power to lift that siege. I will speak briefly to the peace plan that was recently announced. This US peace plan, like any peace plan, is good news, but we need to reflect on the reality of the situation. It is not a peace agreement yet. Input from the people of Gaza has not yet been engaged.”
“Those on the flotilla are there because their governments, including the Irish Government, have failed to lift the blockade while men, women and children are starved and bombed. While we highlight the danger facing these people, we must also highlight that their message, the risk they take and the danger they face pales in comparison to what is faced by ordinary people in Gaza, who did not choose to take any risks, who simply had the bad luck to be Palestinian and who are at the mercy of the genocidal Israeli regime. The importance of ending the blockade cannot be overemphasised. Every day, food that we have sent as aid rots at checkpoints and warehouses while, a few kilometres away, people starve. Babies left with no parents by bombs are left with no formula by our failure.”
“I too welcome this joint motion and express my solidarity with everybody aboard the flotilla. I welcome the families of those Irish people on board those 40 boats. I will use my time to recall why these people are on the flotilla in the first place. Across those 40 boats, there are people from all over the world including politicians, artists, activists and ordinary people. They are united by a love for humanity and for the international rules-based order that we have failed to protect and that is ignored by the US and Israel in carrying out this genocidal campaign, and in time and again committing the most horrific of war crimes with impunity before our very eyes on the Palestinian people, whose right to self-determination and to existence itself has been met with violence and erasure for so long.”
“It is reported in the Irish Independent today that at a recent launch of teen accounts Meta's head of safety essentially said parents are now responsible for what their children and teens view online, including the harmful things their teens view online. Our Government and the tech regulators in this jurisdiction are asleep at the wheel. The social media platforms are running rings around them. When will the Government take seriously its obligations to regulate this area? We need time to discuss this urgently this week.”
“It is a missed opportunity when social enterprises can be both productive and extremely competitive, just not the traditional model of what we think of as an enterprise. I would encourage much closer collaboration with the Department of enterprise as we are really missing out on huge potential benefits in this area. On this strategy, we need to do much more to change the system to sustainable, long-term, diversified funding, including through public procurement. If we build capacity in this sector, we all stand to benefit as communities, taxpayers and consumers.”
“We see a very important shift in formalising and consolidating supports, providing new finance tools and pushing for the visibility of social enterprises. Under this strategy, however, we are still not yet seeing that crucial pivot away from short-term grant-dependent supports. For any business and enterprise, this makes it incredibly difficult to scale its work, to ensure that it will continue to operate and to aspire to its full potential. By contrast, we have a much more sophisticated structure around other businesses and supporting their viability and longevity. Particularly disappointing is that social enterprise is not mentioned at all in the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity.”
“The money spent in this sector and any surpluses generated go directly back into our local communities instead of feeding offshore corporations or sitting in shareholder investment accounts around the world. In sectors which face issues around high costs, pricing out consumers and squeezing wages, social enterprises offer the possibility for cheaper prices for consumers and better wages and conditions for workers because they do not constantly place profit margin above their social purpose - all this while they continue to run viable businesses. There is also huge opportunity for the State, which often pays a high price for corporate profits in public procurement, to save taxpayer funds by having more contracts with social enterprises. I welcome this strategy and I believe it contains many worthwhile aims and commitments.”
“It provides great food, great service and that space for artists, community groups, musicians and many more to come together. These spaces reduce antisocial behaviour, reduce loneliness and promote healthier, more vibrant communities. The whole community benefits from this, whether or not they engage directly with a social enterprise or not. Tá siad fite fuaite inár bpobal, agus caithfimid tacú leo. Often overlooked when we speak about social enterprises, though, is their contribution to the economy. That is, I think, because we still have that mindset of charity, particularly as they do not fall under the Department of enterprise. They are extremely valuable to our economy. Those who work in this sector form part of our income-based tax, a tax base that is much more stable than corporation tax.”
“Third Space is a café in Smithfield that was founded by Sean Mullan and which provides affordable food in an increasingly gentrified area, an area in north-inner-city Dublin which is just lacking that third space. That is what it is named after. We have workspaces and dwelling spaces but we no longer have community spaces to come together. That is what Third Space is, and not only that, but it also provides employment to those who might otherwise find it harder to get employment. It works with NGOs and community and voluntary organisations within the area to help it fundraise. It has a square meal programme whereby everybody comes along and pays what they think that meal is worth and everything goes towards that charity. It does so much to bring about a sense of community in a space that is otherwise starved of it.”
“We still see these organisations as charitable organisations that do good in society but which we should be grateful for rather than seeing them as viable organisations that provide crucial State services, public services, seirbhísí poiblí, that we all rely on day to day up and down the country. They contribute to society and form a vital part of our community. I often hear from constituents in my area, for example, about the frustrating lack of spaces in our communities for people to come together, to socialise, to interact, without spending loads of money. One of my favourite social enterprises has taken that challenge head-on. I will use it as an example of what we really value in a social enterprise.”
“I still think that, as a society, we hold a binary view that it is either that or a charity and there is no in-between. Social enterprises are therefore crucial in bringing about a level of sophistication of thinking about how we can combine businesses, but ones that are more sustainable, that serve our communities better into the future and where we can actually see their societal impact. Even today I was in the audiovisual room looking at a presentation about employee ownership trusts. They are facing tax barriers to even just allowing for that worker-management model within normal businesses. Earlier this afternoon, I spoke on Leaders' Questions and Questions on Policy or Legislation to ask about the multi-annual funding that so many organisations in our civil society are crying out for as well as for core funding.”
“This allows them to contribute positively to the community in ways a normal business simply cannot. They can prioritise affordability, giving employment to those who are usually excluded by the labour market or demonstrating that businesses can be eco-friendly. I have had the privilege over the course of my career of working in the corporate sector and in the public sector. I have worked with social enterprises, NGOs and civil society in providing consultancy directly into them and overseeing funding streams and support programmes to build them up and allow them to flourish. This is, therefore, a concept I have thought a lot about over the course of my career. I still think that, unfortunately, a lot of this Government's policies are informed by a reliance on a private sector, for-profit model of business.”
“I am delighted to have this opportunity and a little surprised that there is not more interest from speakers across the House on this really important issue. I will cover some of the things we talk about when we think about what a social enterprise is, the contributions they make to society and to our economy and then some of the gaps that I believe still exist in this strategy. I really welcome that the Minister of State has invited from us those suggestions and I trust that he will give them adequate deliberation and consideration. What is a social enterprise? It is worth going back to brass tacks on this because everybody has a different understanding of it. They are businesses that operate as a business but to achieve a social, societal or environmental impact.”
“LauraLynn and many other organisations in the community and voluntary sector operate on threadbare budgets despite the fact that they provide these short gaps that the State does not provide. These are crucial services up and down the country. Will the Minister commit in budget 2026 to providing multiannual funding, core funding, to finally allow us to move away from this philanthropic model of 100 years ago to a modern State which properly funds these organisations to adequately support families up and down the country?”
“Last weekend I was delighted to attend a ceremony celebrating a centenary of light, 100 years of LauraLynn providing palliative care for children, celebrating beyond the establishment of LauraLynn to the legacy bodies that it worked with, the children’s Sunshine home and, indeed, Ella Webb who started treating children with rickets in 1925. Tá mé comh bhródúil. I am very proud that all this work has been done in my home constituency of Dublin Rathdown in Leopardstown. LauraLynn provides crucial work. It is the only organisation in this country providing palliative care for children. It gives children choice at the end of life and dignity and it provides families with the opportunity to create memories.”
“How can any Department do more work and more complex work without additional resources allocated to ensure that everything is above board? When it comes to this conversation, we keep hearing about chips and ICT products but these goods can also be parts for drones such as those that are attacking humanitarian workers on the Sumud flotilla and civilians in Gaza right now. It is an incredibly serious topic and I and others need reassurance that the Minister of State's Department is taking its duties regarding this matter seriously.”
“I hope that is the case because, even in the previous answer to Deputy Conway-Walsh, we hear this emphasis on streamlining and making more efficient the administrative burden on businesses. However, this is a really serious area and one that needs to go in the other direction. In data released to me in answer to a parliamentary question, figures showed significant increases in the value and number of export licences granted since 2021. The Government's competitiveness plan indicates that the Government wants more dual-use products sold abroad by Irish companies, directly linking the productivity and competitiveness of Irish SMEs to funds for military research and development. Logically, that means more and riskier dual-use exports to be assessed for licences.”
“How is the Department addressing the need to increase our regulatory capacity to ensure that Irish companies are not negligently or purposefully selling these dangerous goods, which can then be used to commit crimes such as those war crimes we are now seeing in Gaza and Ukraine?”