Thomas Gould
Cork North-Central · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I stand here in the shadow of Cork men and women who fought and died for Irish freedom. I think today of Mary MacSwiney, who went from her brother's deathbed to this Dáil. She was the true embodiment of a rebel. When we talk about the cost of Irish unity, Mary MacSwiney also spoke about the cost of Irish freedom in the Dáil.”
“The truth is the Six Counties have been economically trapped and cannot reach their full potential under Britain. If these economies were to grow like Cork and Galway, they would be a net positive financial impact on Irish unity.”
“The difference that Irish unity could make is much more tangible for them now. Ireland unfree shall never be at peace. I want to send a message to all of those young people. The cost of unity is the cost of their future. It is the cost of the life they could build here.”
“I welcome the debate today. Ireland has a proud history and tradition of myths and legends, from Cú Chulainn to Tír na nÓg to the Children of Lír, which have passed down through the generations. However, the latest myth and legend some people are telling is far more damaging. There are people who claim that we cannot afford Irish unity.”
“Professor Seamus McGuinness of the ESRI clearly stated that FitzGerald's hypotheses were based on a scenario that could never happen. Do you know what that reminds me of? For years, when we talked about climate change, climate change deniers were rolled out to give their opinions, even though all the science was against them.”
“The Minister of State referred to the new 90-minute fares and the fact that people can tap on and tap off. I want to let her know that the fare is €1.90 but next week, it will be €2.40. That is a 26% increase in the fare. How can that be justified?”
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“The difference that Irish unity could make is much more tangible for them now. Ireland unfree shall never be at peace. I want to send a message to all of those young people. The cost of unity is the cost of their future. It is the cost of the life they could build here. It is the cost of a border that divides this land, but our peoples will never be divided. Across hundreds of kilometres, across thousands of villages and towns, across mountains and motorways from Cork to Coleraine, we stand united. Onwards to the republic. Cost should never be put in front of Irish unity. We must debate it and be honest but, at the end of the day, it is important that all of us deliver the Irish unity that was in the Proclamation and that the people of Ireland want and deserve.”
“I stand here in the shadow of Cork men and women who fought and died for Irish freedom. I think today of Mary MacSwiney, who went from her brother's deathbed to this Dáil. She was the true embodiment of a rebel. When we talk about the cost of Irish unity, Mary MacSwiney also spoke about the cost of Irish freedom in the Dáil. She said: ...when talking with my dying brother I asked him, was it worth the cost, and we decided it was, and one of the last things he ever said to me was, "Thank God there will be no more compromise now". That was Terence MacSwiney, Lord Mayor of Cork, who died on hunger strike in Brixton Prison and was an Irish republican who believed in unity and uniting the whole island of Ireland. The cost of Irish unity is unclear but we cannot use cost as a reason to abandon our brothers and sisters in the Six Counties.”
“The truth is the Six Counties have been economically trapped and cannot reach their full potential under Britain. If these economies were to grow like Cork and Galway, they would be a net positive financial impact on Irish unity. I hope the next generation of Irish children are raised on mythology of the salmon of knowledge and Fionn Mac Cumhail's trickery. I also hope they are not fed lies and misinformation. We cannot afford this to happen to our Ireland. We must submit that the British rule in the Six Counties has been negative on the people on the whole island of Ireland. My brothers and sisters in the North who are listening today and are probably gutted after the vote in this Chamber last week are looking for their dreams and the vision of a united Ireland.”
“Professor Seamus McGuinness of the ESRI clearly stated that FitzGerald's hypotheses were based on a scenario that could never happen. Do you know what that reminds me of? For years, when we talked about climate change, climate change deniers were rolled out to give their opinions, even though all the science was against them. Now, we have that happening here, where we know the data and the positive implications Irish unity could have but we are allowing false data to come in to skew the conversation. While I welcome the Tánaiste's comments earlier, he referenced that €20 billion at least twice in his contribution. We cannot allow false data and false information. The debate has to be honest and open but it also has to be fact- and data-based.”
“I welcome the debate today. Ireland has a proud history and tradition of myths and legends, from Cú Chulainn to Tír na nÓg to the Children of Lír, which have passed down through the generations. However, the latest myth and legend some people are telling is far more damaging. There are people who claim that we cannot afford Irish unity. They are using false data and made-up numbers to try to stop the unity of our Thirty-two Counties, saying it will cost billions upon billions. John FitzGerald wrote a paper on how Irish unity could cost €20 billion. I am not an economist but when I want to understand something, I go to experts like Professor John Doyle, who said the figures in that report were not just the worst case scenario but were also completely wrong.”
“It blames the local authorities for the housing crisis. It blames Irish Water for the infrastructure. It blames the HSE for the health crisis. Now, it is blaming Bus Éireann for the bus crisis. The Government has to take responsibility. It is unbelievable that people cannot get to work, school or college on time and be able to depend on the bus service. The Minister of State mentioned BusConnects. We supported BusConnects. We engaged with it, we put in submissions and we met those involved. Right now, BusConnects is dead in the water. As long as that is not up and running, we are in big trouble in Cork in terms of buses. Taylor Swift has a song, “Anti-hero”, which has the line, “It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me”. I think those in the Government need to say that to themselves.”
“The Minister of State referred to the new 90-minute fares and the fact that people can tap on and tap off. I want to let her know that the fare is €1.90 but next week, it will be €2.40. That is a 26% increase in the fare. How can that be justified? The people of Cork are being forced to pay 26% extra for a service they cannot even depend on, a service that might not turn up or might be delayed. People are depending on the bus service in Cork but it is not reliable. Can the Minister of State imagine this? Drivers are telling me that brake warning light signals are coming on. They are driving buses that are old and decrepit in this day and age. Dublin, Limerick and Galway got new buses. Why did Cork not get new buses? At the same time, we are being asked to pay 26% extra. The Government always blames everyone else.”
“In fact, I do not believe it is Bus Éireann's fault, and it is not the passengers' fault. This is a result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's decision to privatise the bus services and it is wrong. Bus services need to be public services.”
“I think most of them had no increase and some of the services had an extra five cent or a very small number. This 26% increase has to be changed. The 90-minute fares have to stand but they have to stand at the original price. The thing about Cork is that most people do not use multiple trips. If someone pays a fare in the morning, they are going one way. They are going to work, school, college or the hospital. For the vast majority of passengers, the 90-minute fare is actually no saving but, rather, an extra cost. The question I ask myself is whether these fare increases are to subsidise the poor decision-making of the NTA and the Government and to supplement Bus Éireann for the extra costs? I want to make it clear that this is not the drivers' fault.”
“It is unbelievable in this day and age that a city like Cork has been reduced to this because of a shortage of buses. In the middle of the crisis last week there was a big announcement to introduce 90-minute fares for Cork city. You might say to yourself that this is a bit of positive news. However, hidden inside that announcement was another announcement saying fares for adults would increase by 26%. Fares are to increase by up to 26%. For an adult in Cork who commutes, that is the equivalent of an extra €240 a year. The Government gave Cork 90-minute fares and at the same time gave us a 26% increase. How in the name of God with the cost-of-living crisis we have at the moment is that acceptable? I do not think it is. It happened in Dublin.”
“It is going to cost €18 million for a temporary depot and Cork will not get any buses until that is up and running. I have looked for commitments for the last two years to get that open and here we are looking at delay after delay. This means there is gridlock in Cork at the moment. There is absolute gridlock in the city centre with people trying to get from one side of the city to the other. At Monday night's council meeting there was a discussion about a new traffic system in Cork to encourage people to walk, cycle and use the buses. How can people use the buses when we are short buses and they are not turning up? With this new system, because the bus service that was supposed to be in place is not in place, the gridlock is now worse.”
“The bus service in Cork has been in crisis for a number of years. Buses do not turn up. Buses are late. There are ghost buses. There are buses that have "out of service" displayed on them as they drive past dozens of people waiting at bus stops for them. There is an app that does not work. People are looking at the app which says there is a bus due shortly and after a while the bus disappears from the app. It is unbelievable that the crisis in the bus service in Cork is this bad and has been this bad for so long. I have been contacted by drivers who tell me the condition of the buses in Cork is so bad. There are numerous issues and there is a shortage of buses in Cork. One of the reasons there is a shortage of buses in Cork is that there was supposed to be a temporary depot in Tivoli. That is a year late.”
“That is the power that art can bring - the solidarity, humanity, respect and compassion that our Irish artists have. On the walls of Gaza, there is now a poem by the poet Bobby Sands. Irish artists have such a reach. Look at how Spicebag and Daniel MacDonald showcase Irish evictions. They are really powerful images. It is no wonder Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael do not share the same passion for Irish art. At the last general election, Fine Gael used one of the hits by The Kabin Studio, made by young people from Knocknaheeny on the northside of Cork. They make brilliant music and one of their hit songs was "The Spark". It was used without their permission. Fianna Fáil used Asbestos’s iconic mural “What is a home?” on Micheál Martin’s TikTok. That should not have happened. Artists should be respected.”
“AI poses a threat to Irish art and Irish artists. They must be protected. I am really lucky to come from County Cork, which I am very proud of, which has produced some amazing poets, singers and actors, including Miles Gaffney and John Spillane, who are friends of mine. They are unbelievable musicians and singers. There are actors like Siobhán McSweeney, Fiona Shaw and Jennifer O'Donovan, whom I saw recently. There are walkways around Cork where poetry is being written. Along the Clogheenmilcon walkway, a legendary Cork activist, Margaret O'Regan, has written a poem about a great Cork activist, Martin Leahy, who spent 200 weeks outside the Dáil campaigning against this Government's housing crisis. Irish artists have always been able to use art to comment on really important social events and our history.”
“The Government goes away and takes shortcuts, and then years later the consequences come out. We are making very reasonable points about what we are proposing. We talk about renters. The Minister of State referred to the Vienna model where Deputy Sheehan said the average rent is €600 per month. The average rent in Dublin is over €2,000 per month. The average rent being paid by people in Dublin and in Cork is €2,500 to rent an apartment. Those apartments are only small, with fewer windows and are darker, and the Minister of State thinks that is right. It is a mistake.”
“They previously got rid of the gym, they got rid of the doctors' surgery and they got rid of the hairdresser. The only reason they did not get rid of late-night pharmacy is it had a ten-year lease. This vulture fund then came in. There are apartments in Blackpool that are empty right at this minute. This Government always seems to play up to the vulture funds, to the speculators and to the big money, but what does it get? I come from Knocknaheeny, and when Knocknaheeny was built 50 years ago the Government at the time made a decision to build housing 20% smaller with substandard material. Does the Minister of State know what is happening now? For the past 20 years Knocknaheeny has been in the middle of a regeneration that is going to cost €100 million.”
“I will be brief and will not go over points my colleagues have made. The Minister of State used the example of Vienna. I think the minute he said it, he knew he had made a mistake. As has been pointed out, the Minister of State is talking about smaller apartments but they are only a part of it because there is a need for a mix of two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom apartments. The Minister of State is proposing apartment after apartment of one-bedroom bedsits. That is what they will nearly end up as. The Minister of State then spoke about space. We have a situation that is like the Celtic tiger all over again, because houses are being built and there are no parks, playgrounds or open spaces. A vulture fund bought up a building in the Blackpool, the late-night pharmacy. It was the only business left.”
“I will not repeat what my colleagues have said but the fact is we are denying tenants their fundamental protections and rights under the RTB. That is wrong. Tenants who are paying their rent every week, including where there is antisocial behaviour, are entitled to their rights. We are creating a two-tier system, with renters who are covered by the RTB on the one hand and then, on the other, people living in these beds in sheds. We are talking about independent accommodation in people's back gardens. It is not like renting a room in a house. These are stand-alone dwellings and the tenants living there are not sharing the homeowner's bathroom, front room or kitchen. People paying rent on a stand-alone residence should be entitled to the same protection as other renters. I ask the Minister, as others have asked him, to consider that.”
“Can I just ask one question of the Minister? That lady refuses to go into the emergency accommodation because she is in recovery and the accommodation presents a risk of her relapsing. This applies not just to that lady but to anyone in a similar position. They have no right to appeal and they then have to reapply to go on the housing list, which in Cork city takes five months on average. Where should they live for the five months? I do not need to go into the whole lot of it, but if the legislation the Minister is bringing forward is passed, if a person refuses to enter emergency accommodation either because of addiction or because she is a vulnerable woman who does not want to go to a mixed congregated setting with people in the throes of addiction, then that person will end up on the streets.”
“This is forcing people into unsuitable accommodation - especially people who are in recovery and are trying to keep their lives together. This woman is four months pregnant and she has been in and out of emergency accommodation for the last two years. She is 20 years old. As an adult, all she has experienced is emergency accommodation. Is she going to be denied the right to appeal? What happens to her under this legislation? Will the Minister explain that to me please?”
“Like other speakers, I think the Minister is making a major mistake. I was just talking to my party colleague Deputy Ó Broin. A lady contacted me today. She has been in recovery for eight months and is four months pregnant. She is homeless and on the streets. Tonight she is in the maternity hospital at Cork University Hospital, CUH, because there was nowhere else for her to go. If she goes into emergency accommodation where there is open addiction and open drug taking, her fear is that she may fall back into addiction. She is trying to protect herself and her unborn child. When she comes out of CUH tomorrow, she is going to the streets. What does the Minister's legislation mean for her? Does it mean she has no right to appeal?”
“Sorry. Can the Minister of State also look at if it is passed in Europe, that it is in each individual country then? It is the bureaucracy, red tape and time. It is not about this specific drug. I ask the Minister of State to look at it from a European point of view-----”
“One of the questions that really affected the Scottish referendum was what the currency would be. It was a huge issue in the last week of the debate. That is what we need to be able to talk about now. I assume it will be the euro, but that is not for me to assume. It is part of the debate, and that is why we need Europe at the heart of this conversation. I cannot say this often enough. Every night on social media we see the genocide that is taking place in Gaza and the West Bank, how people are being driven from their homes and their land stolen. There are nearly 1 million settlers now in the West Bank. Where is Europe? It is a mark of shame on the European Union that it is standing idly by while genocide is being committed. At the same time, it is allowing weapons to be shipped to Israel and bonds to be sold in Europe.”
“How can it happen in other European countries but not here? There are great things being done in Europe, and then we look at this. People are talking about the disconnect with Europe. I appeal to the Minister of State on that. Deputy Ó Murchú touched on my next point. We want to have the conversation about preparing for Irish unity now because Europe could play a really important part in supporting it, coming up with solutions and funding as part of it. There is an open door in Europe when it comes to Irish unity and peace in this island. If we are going to convince people in the Six Counties - unionists, loyalists and others - that a united Ireland would be better for them, we should have the conversation in Europe now and show them that this is what Europe will bring to the table.”
“An issue that has rightly got a lot of coverage over the last few months is the disease called Friedreich's ataxia. There is a drug out there called Skyclarys. Citizens of a number of European countries are able to access that medicine. We have come here and families have come here and spoken about it. I appeal to the Minister of State. I know a meeting is to take place this month. I have been dealing with Craig Coady in relation to his son Paudie, who is dying. They lost another son to the same illness. It is an horrendous situation. Is there any way possible? I have pleaded with the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health on humanitarian grounds, under exceptional circumstances, because Paudie's position is so vulnerable now. This will not save his life but it will extend it and give him a better quality of life.”
“Instead, the Taoiseach has come out and blocked it, and he will be whipping every Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TD to oppose our Bill tonight. It is unbelievable. The party that calls itself the republican party will vote against a discussion on Irish unity. What is even worse is that Fine Gael members, who have a plan, to be fair to them, will be whipped into line tonight. Fine Gael members believe their party is descended from Michael Collins. What would Michael Collins think when they come in tonight to vote against a discussion on Irish unity? One man, Micheál Martin, is blocking the way. It is an absolute disgrace that he will whip this Government into line because of his own prejudice. Shame on him.”
“Local authorities are not allowed to run a deficit, so that tells the Minister of State the level of cuts and slashes there has been to services. This Government has to step up and look at a European model of funding and investment and at democracy for local authorities. In 1990, as part of German reunification, 18 members of the East German Parliament attended the EU Parliament as non-voting observers. I speak to young people today and they want to see a united Ireland. They want a new vision. I spoke to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael TDs in the Dáil last week who told me they would support the vote tonight on Sinn Féin's Bill, which will bring about the beginning of dialogue, debate and consultation around a united Ireland.”
“Local authorities are using funding collected in rents for parks, playgrounds and footpaths because they are not getting the support of this Government and have not been since the financial crash. I have a situation today where a man will be coming home from hospital after major heart surgery. When his family checked his house last week to get it ready for him to come home, a broken pipe had flooded the house. Cork City Council officials told the family they do not have the staff to get the house ready. They have to dump the carpets and floors. There is a smell of damp and mould in the house now. That man is after having open-heart surgery and he is going home to that because the Government will not fund local authorities. I will give the Minister of State one last figure. Last year, local authorities had a combined deficit of €470,000.”
“In 2008, the then Minister Phil Hogan announced a local government fund allocation in budget 2009 of €1.6 billion. In budget 2026, €670 million was allocated to the same fund. That is almost €1 billion less. Has the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, considered asking the European Union how member states fund local authorities and how European local authorities have more democracy and autonomy and are not in constant crisis? Local authorities around this State are in crisis at the moment for funding because of cuts to the block grant. How can they be getting it right in European countries and the Government is making a bags of it here? In Dublin, we have seen increases in rents, rates and local property tax. It will be coming to Cork and to every local authority.”
“I have campaigned for years for extra dementia unit beds and nursing home beds on the northside of Cork, especially in Heather House. Some 19 dementia beds have been built in Heather House. They were announced in 2022 and built and finished last November. I have campaigned to get them open. I was told in May that they would be open in June. They were supposed to be open in June but were not. I have been told by members of staff and families that there is no definite date. People have family members in nursing homes right across Cork, in hospitals and at home with families who are struggling to look after their loved ones, while a nursing home is built, ready to go and fully kitted out. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment to speak to the HSE to open the dementia unit beds in Heather House immediately? People are crying out for them.”
“I will finish on this. I know we will never get everyone to agree but if everyone feels they have been listened to and they are part of the conversation, they may think there is an opportunity to move forward. I believe the vast majority of people want a united Ireland.”
“This needs to be led by the Government. I hope the Secretary of State will come forward but if we are waiting for the British to announce a poll and then react, that is too late. We need to be working in advance. If we work in advance and have these conversations, we hopefully will bring people together.”
“Our Private Members' business next week will move forward the conversation on unity. It will provide that the Taoiseach publish a Green Paper on the means of consultation with the people on the entire island. This would mean the Government setting out ideas on our vision for health, education, public service and the economy. What it would really mean would be the Government outlining the steps we would see for a united Ireland and what it would mean to people, North and South. We are not trying to impose this on people. We are trying to start a conversation and we want people to engage. I hear what the Minister of State is saying in relation to waiting for the Secretary of State but if we were to wait on the British, we would not be where we are now. We need to move forward, not in an adversarial way but to lead.”
“We are asking the Government to bring this forward. We will have Private Members' business in the Dáil next week and that will be a vital part of it. We are asking to engage with all members of the Government to bring that forward.”
“The Minister of State spoke about all the necessary preparations if there is to be a referendum. It is nearly 30 years since the Good Friday Agreement. Now is the time to honour and commemorate the 30th anniversary by having these conversations. While I welcome Fine Gael's announcement about a blueprint for a unified Ireland, it is not a united Ireland. I recognise, however, it is a step in the conversation. Bringing forward a united Ireland is not just Sinn Féin's job; it is the job of all political parties and none. It is the job of all aspects of society to come forward with solutions. We want to engage with everyone - with unionists, loyalists, people of all different faiths and different politicians on the whole island. To move forward with a referendum on a united Ireland, we need to have the citizens' assembly.”
“As the Minister said in response to a previous question, there are over 1 million illegal settlers in the West Bank. There is a genocide in Gaza that continues to this day, with over 70,000 people killed, yet we are waiting for consensus. Consensus from who? The Israeli Government has so much power in its lobby that there will never be consensus. Ireland needs to lead the way. Ireland needs to say that these games must stop, and all games with Israel must stop. We should not be involved in any sport or any economics. We should say to them that unless the genocide stops and the Palestinians are given their rights, Ireland will not take part with Israel. We should do everything to ensure that no other European country, or any country in the world, does that.”
“I will finish the quote from Seamus Coleman when speaking to Tony O’Donoghue of RTÉ. He said: “I am a dad, I am a husband, I've got a heart, I know the difference between right and wrong.” The Minister said that the decision was with the FAI, not the Government. It is not. Deputy McEntee is the Minister. She is in the Government. It is up to the Government to make the decision and to take it away from the players and the FAI. A precedent has been set, but it should happen even if there was no precedent. The Minister mentioned Russia and Belarus. That shows the double standards. She said that we had to have agreement between all of the other countries. No, we do not. The Irish Government needs to say “No”. We are against genocide. We are against people in the West Bank being driven from their homes and murdered.”
“The manager of the team has said: “[I]t's unfair for the players to be in this position and us to be in this position.” Seamus Coleman, one of the longest serving and most decorated Irish footballers, a man who leads by example, said: My views are very clear on the fact that Nathan and the younger players, and Ireland, the fans, the manager, it should not have landed on our toes to answer questions about this. It should have been dealt with above us”
“The Minister said that Sport Ireland and the Government had no part to play. That is not accurate. In 1999, the then Government put off a match against Yugoslavia. The precedent has been set, and the Government should step in. It is very unfair of the Government to put all the blame on the FAI and let it carry the can. The FAI has previously made clear its position on playing matches with Israel, but now it has been pushed into a corner.”
“I believe these games should not go ahead. There has been a call to stop the games. The Palestinians have said that there should be a ban on all sporting engagements with Israel. There should be an outright boycott until such time as the people of Palestine are given the freedom, respect and rights they deserve.”
“That lands clearly at its doors. We need the occupied territories Bill to include services. There is an opportunity now for Europe to lead and say that there is a genocide in Gaza. We should stop supplying the Israeli army with weapons. We should stop letting bonds being sold for money. Settlers are driving people from their land in the West Bank and people are being killed. There is a genocide in Gaza. We have an opportunity now that the Taoiseach must grab.”
“The joke of this is there will be no passport printer in a brand-new office that is being set up in Cork. How crazy is that? People are having to get emergency passports. People are facing delays. I dealt with a lady who could not fly out on Monday because her passport was delayed. She had to fly out on Tuesday and book new flights, with the cost of that. If we are going to spend millions, we need to spend it where it needs to be spent. The EU Presidency should be a source of pride. The Taoiseach has an unbelievable opportunity now to make a real difference. Number one, we have to call out how Europe threw us under the bus during the financial crash and how the Irish people paid more than anyone else because of bankers and speculators and how they destroyed our economy. Fianna Fáil must take the blame for that.”
“The Taoiseach, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have rolled out the red carpet to the Europeans. I am a proud Irishman and a proud European. I think you can be both. At the same time, however, we cannot have a situation where millions upon millions are being spent while children grow up in hostels and hotels. Millions and millions are being spent while children with disabilities cannot get access to school places, school transport or July provision. People with disabilities cannot get them. Our priorities have to be here. We have a Passport Office in Cork. Everyone will be travelling now into Ireland but Irish citizens cannot get passports because of delays in the Passport Office. In Cork, there was supposed to be a new Passport Office in August. Now that is being delayed until next year.”
“First, I stand in solidarity with the staff and students of UCC who have been locked out of their college and workplace because of the visit of Ursula von der Leyen. Why there was a need for this extreme when people just want to go to work and college, I do not know but it goes to the over-the-top way that Europe and this Government are treating the citizens. Once again, the elites are being prioritised over ordinary people. There will be a gridlock in Cork. There will not be a gridlock for the elites. For the ordinary man or woman trying to get to work, college, school or to collect their kids, there will be. I have serious concerns after hearing comments in the past few days about the State's ability to guarantee security while we have the Presidency.”
“Where are the large-scale projects that the Minister of State outlined for my community and for the children in my area? There are two new schools in Cork South-Central. What we are looking for on the northside are four small-scale projects, four extensions, but where is the commitment from the Department to move them on from stage 2A or stage 2B? Scoil Padre Pio has waited for seven years. Is that acceptable? Deputy Moynihan is the Minister of State. I am asking him a straight question because I do not believe the wait is acceptable. Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers has been waiting for years. Is that acceptable? These are schools in my area and they are crying out. St. Killian’s Special School, one of the best schools in the country, is crying out. Will the Minister of State give a commitment here today to ensure all these projects progress?”
“I have the printout of the schools here. They include St. Killian’s Special School, stage 2A, Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, stage 2A, Scoil Chroí Íosa, stage 2A, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, stage 1, Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, stage 2B, and Scoil Mhuire, stage 2B. Then there are Cork Educate Secondary School and Le Chéile Secondary School, Ballincollig, stage 1, and Coláiste Choilm, stage 2B. When are these to move on to the next stage? The Minister of State came in here and gave me a list. I have a list, too. All these schools are crying out for support and funding to move on to the next stage. I also have another list. I care about the two lists because they contain the schools in my area, Cork North-Central, which I was elected to come in here and speak for. There are four capital projects in Cork North-Central, none of which is large scale.”
“On the other hand, it is letting them remain in accommodation that is unsuitable for children. I will give the Minister of State an example. Scoil Padre Pio was one of the first schools in Cork to take on additional autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes. It led the way. It was seen to do unbelievable work. Prefabs went in there 21 years ago. I met a man who told me he was educated in those prefabs and now his son is being educated in the same prefabs. Does the Minister of State know that the Government is after spending €1.5 million on those prefabs? Almost €100,000 is being spent each year. What a waste of money that is. This project could have been delivered for €2.5 million in 2019. Does the Minister of State know what the cost is now? It is €7 million. The longer the Government delays, the more the cost goes up.”
“We have seen other schools that cannot even get onto the list. These include Scoil Barra, Clogheen Kerry Pike National School, Scoil Eoin and the Convent Primary School in Mallow. Despite the huge efforts made by their principals, these are schools that cannot even get on the radar of the Department, whatever that is about. I have visited some of these schools and seen the holes in the floors and the roofs and the dangerous steps that cannot be used by children. I am speaking about brilliant principals, teachers, SNAs and kids. These are kids who are being failed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in government because they are being educated in rooms and prefabs that are not fit for education. On one hand, the Government is recognising the needs of these children.”
“We also have Gaelscoil Pheig Sayers, which got approval for a new school in 2022, but it has been unable to get a response from the Department for the last 12 months. We have Scoil Chroí Íosa stuck at the same stage. Then there is St. Killian's Special School, Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin and Le Chéile Secondary School. A 15-acre site was purchased in Ballincollig in 2024, and there has still been no progress. Ballincollig is an area that is expanding hugely. There is a desperate need for school places, but once again this is stuck in limbo. There are ten schools in my constituency on the list for large-scale building projects and another 21 on the list for additional accommodation. Not one large-scale building project has been delivered in Cork North-Central since 2020. There have been 11 smaller scale accommodation projects.”
“The Minister of State will have received the letter this week requesting a meeting between him and the TDs from Cork North-Central in relation to Scoil Padre Pio. We had a very important meeting on Monday with the principal, Ms Sinéad Elliffe, where she outlined that the school had been waiting and was now caught in limbo. The school’s extension was approved in 2019. The school has now gone through the whole design process and has gone back and forth with the Department, and as far as the school is concerned, it is done. It has, though, not been able to get anyone to sign off on that design. Scoil Padre Pio, then, is one of the schools stuck in the dreaded stage 2A. It is like a wasteland for schools. They go away and do the work, and then they are caught there. This is not the situation of Scoil Padre Pio alone.”