Tom Brabazon
Dublin Bay North · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I raise the issue of Uisce Éireann and the lack of meaningful engagement it has with the public and public representatives. I have had a number of dealings with it recently, most notably on James Larkin Road where it is doing an important project.”
“I welcome what the Taoiseach said in respect of the Dublin city task force. Us Dubs agree that the city centre certainly requires a lot of TLC. Speaking with many constituents in Dublin Bay North, they have fond memories of travelling into town to go shopping in the Talbot Street area.”
“Howth Yacht Club caters for all types of people. One might think a yacht club is the preserve of the wealthy middle class but the club goes well beyond that and has ambitious plans to become an inclusive club catering for those less able and less fortunate than regular club members.”
“I certainly would not be raising this issue in this public way in the Chamber if the matter were progressing in the manner the Minister of State has described. We have been waiting two years for the resolution of a consolidated lease in circumstances where the club's specialist hired solicitor has, in effect, done the work for the State.”
“The club has five leases from the Department of, Agriculture, Food and the Marine. To tidy up the title, the club hired a specialist solicitor to try to consolidate the leases to simplify the title in order to ease grant applications.”
“I welcome the Minister's response in that regard but the suggestion made is only one of a suite of measures to combat this reckless carry-on. We need more accountability from importers of scramblers, more Garda pursuit training, more intelligence gathering and more community involvement in handing over intelligence to Garda authorities.”
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“Areas in the north side of the city have seen increased Garda patrols but we need to see much more. We need to see areas like Talbot Street cleaned of litter, antisocial behaviour to be rooted out, and open drug-taking dealt with.”
“I welcome what the Taoiseach said in respect of the Dublin city task force. Us Dubs agree that the city centre certainly requires a lot of TLC. Speaking with many constituents in Dublin Bay North, they have fond memories of travelling into town to go shopping in the Talbot Street area. However, over recent years, they have begun to feel that the area is becoming unwelcoming due to litter, vagrancy, drug-taking and an overall menacing feel to the area. This has a knock-on effect on local businesses and ratepayers where there is reduced footfall. That also reduces passive surveillance in the area. As a northsider, I am very proud of our city, its culture and its history. However, I cannot but agree with the sentiments expressed by many of my constituents.”
“I raise the issue of Uisce Éireann and the lack of meaningful engagement it has with the public and public representatives. I have had a number of dealings with it recently, most notably on James Larkin Road where it is doing an important project. While there has been engagement with public representatives, there has been no meaningful reaction to the problems raised about the traffic chaos on the Howth Road and on the way into Raheny village. A number of suggestions have been put forward to Uisce Éireann. In the Mask area of Artane, there is severe discolouration of water in households. Uisce Éireann sent someone out, but the water appeared discoloured again a number of hours later. When this was raised with Uisce Éireann, it said that the issue had been resolved. It is extremely frustrating dealing with Uisce Éireann.”
“I certainly would not be raising this issue in this public way in the Chamber if the matter were progressing in the manner the Minister of State has described. We have been waiting two years for the resolution of a consolidated lease in circumstances where the club's specialist hired solicitor has, in effect, done the work for the State. He has drafted the lease for the Department. It should take only a matter of hours for a competent solicitor to read through it and either approve it or suggest amendments. I would not be raising this issue on behalf of the club, two years on, if what the Department is claiming was factual.”
“The club has five leases from the Department of, Agriculture, Food and the Marine. To tidy up the title, the club hired a specialist solicitor to try to consolidate the leases to simplify the title in order to ease grant applications. The draft lease was sent to the Department in July 2024 and was forwarded to the Office of the Chief State Solicitor in August 2024. This work has still not been completed. We are two years on and the work needs to be finalised without further delay.”
“Howth Yacht Club caters for all types of people. One might think a yacht club is the preserve of the wealthy middle class but the club goes well beyond that and has ambitious plans to become an inclusive club catering for those less able and less fortunate than regular club members. Recently, the EPA granted a licence to dredge the harbour, which is a welcome development and the first time it will have been done since the 1970s. It is a great development for the harbour as a whole. It will necessitate the yacht club replacing its marine infrastructure, which is a very expensive operation. It will cost a large sum and the club will look to the State for grant funding from the large scale infrastructure fund. Like all funding streams, one of the necessary proofs is having good title to the land that it occupies.”
“I thank the Minister again. We must act with a comprehensive suite of measures, as he said, and we must make rapid progress on this. I know what he said about thousands of scramblers being seized by gardaí but there are still many on our streets endangering the public, so we must act with speed.”
“I welcome the Minister's response in that regard but the suggestion made is only one of a suite of measures to combat this reckless carry-on. We need more accountability from importers of scramblers, more Garda pursuit training, more intelligence gathering and more community involvement in handing over intelligence to Garda authorities. Police services in other jurisdictions are provided with training on scramblers to pursue and apprehend people riding scramblers. This Government must urgently support the Garda, not just with legislation but with the wherewithal to pursue, apprehend and prosecute those involved. The courts must also take a very serious view of this behaviour and back our gardaí in their work.”
“I raise again the issue of scramblers. We all know responsibility for this is across the Minister's Department and that of the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. We need to get to grips with this problem. We need to take back our streets from scramblers, which are being deployed by criminal gangs as a method of muling drugs and intimidating communities. I warmly welcome the enactment of Grace's Law but, on its own, it is not enough. We need to follow up with enforcement of this law. In that context, will the Minister consider implementing a professional licence or a statutory indemnity for gardaí who act reasonably in the pursuit of scramblers?”
“I thank the Minister of State. I welcome what he said but I ask him and his officials to light a fire under it and get it moving as quickly as possible so the new policy framework can be delivered as quickly as possible.”
“Along with the local authority and AHB supply of senior citizens' accommodation with planning for retirement villages, this could free up significant numbers of houses for private and social housing. This would help young couples to acquire freed-up housing. Therefore, I urge that whatever measures are being taken be expedited.”
“The scheme, as the Minister of State said, is non-statutory and it operates erratically. It is subject to funding being available in local authorities. Sometimes it is available and sometimes it is not and it is difficult as a public representative to be able to advise constituents who are in the over-60 age bracket on this, when the availability of the funding is intermittent and in some cases non-existent. We are in a housing emergency. We should be putting the scheme on a statutory basis and resourcing it so it is available throughout the year. This would have the effect of providing an increased supply of available housing to the market, which is the stated aim of the Government and the Minister of State's Department.”
“I raise with the Minister the financial contribution scheme whereby local authorities acquire houses from over-60s at market value. In return, one third of the net proceeds of sale are given to the local authority and the senior citizens get a local authority unit and pay a differential rate on same. There are significant benefits for the economy and the overall housing situation. Those getting older who have empty nests get to offload significant responsibility and the cost of maintaining a house that has outgrown their needs. They usually move into a local authority senior citizens' unit which has the benefit of a liaison officer. Are there any plans to expand the scheme and put it on a statutory basis?”
“This Bill will help close gaps criminals have been able to exploit. It will improve co-operation with our European partners, support the gathering of new evidence and, most important, assist in holding those involved in serious and organised crime to account.”
“The European production and preservation orders provided for in the e-evidence package and this legislation will be an important tool in ensuring relevant evidence can be obtained or preserved quickly. The creation of the new office of the director of criminal justice international co-operation is very welcome and the Bill gives that office real teeth by giving it the power to monitor and enforce compliance by service providers. Criminals are quick to adapt and will seek to carry out their activities wherever they can. The State must be a step ahead of them and must be able to respond urgently. We need to look ahead of the curve to see what technology is coming down the tracks so that we can keep up with it. In particular, AI as a tool can be very positive while also nefarious at the same time.”
“This can happen quickly and discreetly, and the evidence of that activity may be held by a service provider in another EU country. In these circumstances, any delay can seriously damage an investigation. Investigations into organised crime are increasingly dependent on digital evidence and there are countless cases where convictions have been secured based on digital material. We have to support An Garda Síochána insofar is possible to make it faster and easier for it to access electronic evidence. Speed matters in any investigation and it is particularly important in organised crime cases, where those engaged in this activity will often try to cover their tracks, encrypt their communications or delete incriminating material entirely.”
“Their financing, planning and contacts can move across borders in seconds. We have to be able to respond to that. We cannot underplay the importance of international co-operation. We have seen in recent weeks how working closely with other jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies can lead to major breakthroughs in tackling transnational organised crime and can bring significant players in the criminal underworld to justice. When gardaí can co-operate effectively with their counterparts in other countries, it becomes much harder for these criminals to hide behind borders. In today's day and age, everything is done through digital means and crime is no different. A person in this State can easily communicate with a group on the other side of the world to organise a drug shipment, move money and co-ordinate other criminal activity.”
“I commend the Minister and his Department on bringing forward the Bill. The Government committed to implementing the e-evidence package and to establishing the new office of the director of criminal justice international co-operation, CJICO, in the programme for Government. It is welcome to see that commitment now being progressed. The Bill is practical and necessary and will strengthen Ireland's ability to access digital evidence to support criminal investigations. It will also help to ensure those involved in serious and organised crime can be brought before the courts and ultimately brought to justice. We all know criminal gangs do not respect borders and that their activities are not confined to one village, one county or even one country. Criminal networks are international, and their communications are often online.”
“We have given the school DEIS plus status and the decision to remove one teacher from it is a policy contradiction in itself. It is utterly ridiculous. I have found since I have been elected to this House that the Department of Education and Youth has been relying on circular this, circular that and circular the other. We are constrained and what is missing is common sense and practicality. It has to be reversed.”
“Many of the children attending the school have complex needs and have not attended any sort of preschool. The school and its teachers catch any sign of relevant needs-----”
“I wish to raise the issue of St. Francis Junior National School as it is set to lose one of its mainstream teachers because it was short one pupil. One teacher is going to be lost because of the lack of one single pupil. This is ridiculous, bureaucratic, box-ticking nonsense. The school appealed this decision and, in turn, that appeal was refused. It is frustrating to engage with the Department. In fact, the issue with the Department is that it does not engage but rather stonewalls any request for movement. It is important that we make it clear who will suffer here. Ultimately, it is going to be the children of the school who will be impacted by this ridiculous decision. St. Francis Junior National School is not only a DEIS school but recently got DEIS plus status. It caters for a community with social and economic challenges.”
“Will the Government introduce a separate professional driving licence for gardaí so they can go about their duty? Will the Government bring in stricter measures so that we can get rid of this scourge once and for all? Grace's Law on its own is insufficient. We need a comprehensive suite of measures that includes a ban of online sales in this jurisdiction to rid us of this scourge once and for all.”
“I again raise the issue of scramblers, e-bikes and e-scooters. We have to get a grip on the import and supply of these vehicles. We also need to have a far greater accountability from the suppliers of these vehicles, which are wreaking havoc in communities across the country. I have spoken previously of gangs of youths wearing balaclavas when driving on scramblers, etc., but they are not even wearing balaclavas anymore. They do not care and they are not afraid. They are not being pursued and are being given free reign. From speaking with representatives of the GRA, gardaí are afraid of pursuing them for fear of disciplinary action or, worse, prosecution. Will the Government introduce a statutory indemnity protecting gardaí who pursue, within reason, scramblers?”
“These settlements are illegal and wrong, and we cannot trade with them as normal. We cannot condemn the settlements and actions of the Israeli authorities on one hand and allow for occupation on the other. I urge Ireland, the European Union and the international community to stand up for the Palestinian people and continue to take further action. We have the influence and we must use it. The Palestinian people deserve freedom, justice and dignity. We owe it to the people of Palestine to show them that the world will not watch their suffering in silence but will instead stand up and take action.”
“The EU cannot lecture the world about human rights, freedom, and democracy while some member states fail to take meaningful action and are blocking the suspension of the EU trade agreement with Israel. EU sanctions have significant weight and influence. The EU must use that power and influence to prevent the suffering of the Palestinian people and the destruction of their land. We should be clear about what the illegal settlements are and what they mean in reality. They mean families forced from their homes, people being spat at, abused and degraded by violent and thuggish settlers, and children harassed on their way to and from school and prevented from playing freely as all children should. It means the Palestinian people do not have the chance to live normal, safe and dignified lives.”
“We know from our own history what it is like to experience oppression, abuse and discrimination. We know what it means to be denied dignity and freedom, and that gives us a particular understanding and responsibility to speak out on behalf of the Palestinian people. This Bill is not perfect, and we are all aware of the calls for the inclusion of services. I support the inclusion in particular of the advertisement of services, and if the Government could see its way to include services fully, I would support that also. We should follow what the Spanish have done. It would be helpful if the Government published the legal advice it has received on the inclusion of services. The European Union must also do far more.”
“I welcome this Bill being progressed and the opportunity to speak on it today. This is very important and, frankly, overdue legislation. Like all Members of the House, I am appalled and horrified by the treatment of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli authorities and I condemn the Israeli Government, the genocide it has committed, the ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands, the destruction of homes, the forced displacement of families and collective punishment of an entire people. The Palestinian people have endured decades of oppression, dispossession and injustice. They have had their land stolen, their basic rights denied and have been subjected to a system that no person should ever have to live under. Ireland has been one of the strongest supporters of the Palestinian people and our support has been unwavering.”
“Our responsibility is essentially twofold in that we have to continue to support the people of south Lebanon, who are at real risk, and we must make sure that each Irish peacekeeper returns home safely to his or her family. I will finish by thanking all those who served in UNIFIL and particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of peace in that area. They have worn the Tricolour and blue helmet with distinction, courage and honour.”
“I again urge the Minister to do everything in her power to have that mandate, in whatever way, extended so that there is not a vacuum left in south Lebanon.”
“Our peacekeepers have been operating in very difficult circumstances in recent months, as the Minister has outlined, with air strikes, drone strikes and ground operations in the Irish area of operation. The escalating hostilities and recent deaths of peacekeepers is extremely concerning. We need to make sure that the Irish peacekeepers are given every necessary protection. On top of that, the local Lebanese population has a great trust in our peacekeepers and respect for them. This is down to the peacekeepers' exemplary service and our own history of suffering oppression at the hands of colonial powers. The international community cannot let the end of the UNIFIL mandate create a vacuum in south Lebanon. For the local community who lives there the presence of UNIFIL has given them reassurance.”
“We are the only country in the world to have a continuous presence on UN mandated peace operations since 1958. Our peacekeepers have served with distinction and pride, and in particular with their deployment in Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission there. It is very disappointing that this mission is to come to an end and especially in light of ongoing hostilities in south Lebanon. Will the Minister please advise the House on the engagement her Department has had with the UN and international partners in relation to the future of Irish peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL? What arrangements are being put in place to ensure their safe and orderly removal from the region at the end of their current mandate?”
“I urge the Government to keep additional measures on its mind between now and the budget, keep this under consideration and invest in implementing long-term solutions to bring down bills. We must do everything we can to help households in meeting rising costs and ensure they have something to show for their hard work at the end of each week.”
“There is understandable frustration among the public when bills continue to rise at a time when households are already under considerable pressure. We need to see transparency from the energy providers and greater consumer protection to ensure the public is not being price-gouged by companies which are earning extraordinary profits. The recent report that found Ireland has the highest household energy costs in the EU and the report published in recent days by the Household Energy Price Index that found that Dublin is the most expensive capital city in the EU for electricity are very concerning. My constituents are working hard and doing their utmost to make ends meet. They cannot take any more increases or pressure.”
“It is clear from the people I have been engaging with that energy costs remain a serious pressure for households and families. Interim supports are certainly welcome but we also have to bring forth longer-term measures to reduce bills. It is very difficult to listen to elderly people who in the autumn of their years require a lot of heat in their houses and are simply not putting the heat on. Just this week I had one constituent tell me how their gas-electricity supplier has informed them their annual electricity bill will increase by almost 10%, and annual gas bill by 11%. Electric Ireland announced this week it is to increase its prices by 8%. By any measure, these are extraordinary increases and any household would struggle to cushion such costs.”
“Aontaím leis an Teachta O'Callaghan sa mhéid is go raibh sé ag tacú le muintir Northside Home Care. I fully agree with Deputy O' Callaghan in relation to Northside Home Care issue. It is really important that the considerable and important work done by these people is acknowledged by the Government and that they at least get equal pay for equal work. With regard to the Finance Bill, my constituents in Dublin Bay North are really feeling the pinch, and particularly with rising energy costs. I have spoken with many who have told me first hand of the difficulty and pressure they are facing in meeting their household costs. I welcome the measures the Government has taken. Thankfully, we have seen some reductions at the pumps in respect of fuel for transport but that is not to say the problem has been fully resolved.”
“I am not happy with this hand-wringing exercise to say there is no statutory function. As a shareholder in the company, the Minister has some influence over decisions that are being made. If a State-owned body or a semi-State body in which a Minister has a shareholding is not influenceable, there is a serious issue. I welcome, however, the Minister of State's remarks that he will bring the concerns to the attention of the line Minister. I look forward to hearing further in that regard.”
“People are sick and tired of services being pulled from their communities and this will be another valuable amenity lost in the area I represent. This is an awful proposal and it needs to be stopped. The Minister, as shareholder on behalf of the people, needs to intervene.”
“These are very basic services that people should be able to access within their own local community. Indeed, the EU proximity principle that is applied in many instances should be applied in respect of these services. Reducing accessibility is the wrong approach entirely. This idea has to be scrapped and I am asking the Minister to intervene on this and impress on An Post the value placed on the sorting office in Harmonstown and the damage that will be caused if it is to be relocated. An Post claims it requires bigger premises. There is a site owned by Dublin City Council right next-door to the sorting office. If An Post purchased a small piece of that site and a delicately planned planning application was made, I am sure it could be the solution. However, not having considered an extension and moving everything over to Finglas is daft.”
“The local community relies on having accessible postal services and moving this service to Finglas would place an unnecessary burden on local residents, especially on older people who already struggle with accessing public transport and their own mobility. Finglas is simply not well connected to our community. There is no straightforward public transport link that would allow people to travel there easily and independently. If this daft proposal proceeds, people will have to travel by car which will just add traffic to the M50 carpark at a time when the country is trying to reduce our carbon footprint. My constituents are very worried about how they will collect parcels, deal with registered post, deal with missed deliveries and access postal services if this goes ahead.”
“I am absolutely sick and tired of coming into this Chamber to complain about basic services not being delivered correctly or being removed to satisfy a corporate need rather than a public service. It seems to be a constant. I am in here every other week giving out about various emanations of the State. I am fed up with it and my constituents are fed up with it. Here we are once again and I am back to give out. This time it is about An Post threatening to close its sorting office in Harmonstown and relocate it to Finglas. This sorting office services parts of Coolock, Artane, Raheny and other areas covering a very significant population. Reports of its moving to Finglas are particularly concerning because there is no direct public transport link from Raheny, Coolock and Artane to Finglas. This proposal makes absolutely no sense.”
“Those works continue at a snail's pace. I will raise today, in the context of the bank holiday weekend just gone, that DART services were suspended for maintenance works. At the same time, we also had the Dublin City Half Marathon take place in which 13,000 athletes were running. This caused transport chaos, particularly across the northside. I witnessed up to 30 people standing at several bus stops when the buses were caught up in traffic, we had no DARTs and the roads were chock-a-block. There was no alternative way for people to get around. I ask that something be done in relation to long bank holiday weekend works on the DART. The DART is absolutely necessary on those particular weekends.”
“It is not acceptable that residents in the areas to which I refer are being completely held to ransom by contractors that do not seem to be working with any sense of urgency or of the inconvenience they are causing to the very people who are funding their activities. We all accept that the works are necessary, but Uisce Éireann needs to react.”
“I want to raise the ongoing works by Uisce Éireann or its agents at James Larkin Road. These works are causing severe disruption to residents of Raheny, Kilbarrack, Bayside, Howth and Sutton. Tailbacks on the road are a mile long and, most frustratingly, residents are seeing little or no activity on the site of the works. They regularly report to me that there is plant and equipment lying idle on the site and that these vehicles are parked along vast tracts of the James Larkin Road. Along with some of my Oireachtas colleagues, I put various suggestions to Uisce Éireann, including a tidal flow on the road, but nothing seems to have been accepted or worked on by the company.”
“Time and again, I hear the very same story of children with special educational needs being placed in mainstream classrooms that are simply not suited to their needs. The level of stress and anxiety this puts on families is unimaginable. These children need to be in an appropriate classroom with wraparound supports so that they can thrive. I acknowledge the Minister's huge commitment to special education. Last year she visited a number of schools in our community and she heard at first hand the issues from principals, teachers and students alike. We are seeing progress, with more special classes and special schools being established. We need more special classes and more special schools and we need them urgently. The progress that we are seeing is welcome but it must continue and it must match the urgency on the ground.”
“At its core, education is about providing opportunity and allowing every child to reach their full potential. This is no different for children with special educational needs. Across my constituency in Dublin Bay North there is significant demand for additional special classes in schools. One school in particular, Stapolin Educate Together in Baldoyle, has been working tirelessly to secure approval for an additional special class. I urge the Minister to impress upon the NCSE the very real demand that exists and to recognise the willingness of Stapolin Educate Together to deliver this class. Since being elected to this House, I have had the privilege of visiting schools and meeting with teachers and principals in the constituency. Just yesterday I visited another school.”
“Our clubs take young people off the streets where they could otherwise get involved with the wrong things and go down the wrong road. Investment in soccer and in sport is really important. Like Deputy Cleere, I thank the volunteers who get up early to set out the cones and hang the nets, who stay late planning training sessions and formations, who wash the kits and fill the water bottles and who give lifts in order that players and supporters can get to games and training. They are the backbone of our clubs. They do Trojan work that often goes unnoticed. This is really an opportunity for all of us in this House to thank them for the work they do. The grassroots are the most important part of any sport. It is not enough to praise our teams and players when they succeed.”
“Teams can train longer into the evening and the surface allows them to have training sessions and games right throughout the year. These teams want to play throughout the year. They do not want to just be playing when the sod is dry. Clubs in the area they tell me that female participation is exploding. That is fantastic to see this. I have heard countless stories from clubs that they do not have changing or toilet facilities for their girls' teams. This is unacceptable in this day and age, and it has to change. I urge that this be prioritised in the upcoming round of sports capital funding and will be made available particularly in tandem with local authorities. I think of St. Anne's Park in Raheny where a lot of clubs play and where there are no facilities for the female participants in particular.”
“We have had a sodding wet winter, and the spring has not been much better. Ordinary grass pitches are not playable for periods of the year, and training is impossible. The solution to this is all-weather pitches. Unfortunately, we have had an issue with the habitats directive. Where there have been applications for all-weather facilities, there have been hiccups with regard to the brent geese. We are beginning to break through that particular problem, but it will certainly restrict the numbers of all-weather facilities that will be available to us. Unfortunately, given our weather patterns, there will be a continued demand for all-weather facilities. We have burgeoning numbers in clubs. We have burgeoning female participation. It is skyrocketing and it is brilliant that it is. These all-weather pitches are life savers to our clubs.”
“Like everyone here, I was disappointed that our boys in green did not qualify for the World Cup on this occasion, but they made us proud and reminded us of what it is like to dream. I wish the girls in green the best of luck as they progress in the campaign for the qualifiers. They are inspiring young girls up and down the country. The key to this debate is investment in our young people, our clubs and our communities. Throughout my constituency are a number of excellent soccer clubs that are very well organised. There are Kilbarrack United, St. Malachy's FC, St. Paul's Artane, Killester Donnycarney, Raheny United, Howth Celtic and Baldoyle United to name a few. Across the constituency, there are not enough facilities. I refer, in particular, to all-weather pitches.”
“Will the Government now commit to introducing a statutory indemnity or some other statutory mechanism so members of An Garda Síochána who are going about their work in a reasonable way will be protected from prosecution?”