Victor Boyhan
Agricultural Panel · Independent · Ireland
“It also mentions the agrifood sector and the importance of diversification in agriculture, the maritime sector, coastal communities and fishing communities in terms of rural policy.”
“I know from my engagement with both the Department and the Minister that over 900 submissions to the consultation process were received. No Member or parliamentarian will have had the opportunity to consider the anonymised version of these consultations, which contain many good suggestions in favour of the regulations and many concerns in…”
“I welcome the Minister and the official to the Seanad. This is particularly important Private Members' business. I thank Senators Collins and Tully for setting out the background and the rationale behind their Private Members' motion. I acknowledge the Minister's exceptional commitment to rural Ireland and his Ministry.”
“I am conscious of the Minister's public consultation, and I acknowledge it and thank them for it, in relation to the Our Rural Future work programme in 2025. In fairness to him, he did not stop at that. I received a further update when I requested it from his office very recently.”
“This will come about through that process. It is for the Minister to decide. Maybe he will do so tomorrow when the regulations are dealt with. However, when Senators are in this Chamber discussing these regulations tomorrow, they will have no sight of any constituent who made a submission. That is my first item.”
“I am pleased to see Senator Byrne in the Leader’s chair. I wish him well in that job. I also wish him well in his new position as Government Whip. There are three items I wish to discuss today. First is the exempt development regulations, which are being covered extensively in the media.”
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“I want to raise again the debate, and the great concern expressed, about childcare places and the challenges around the provision of public childcare facilities versus private childcare facilities. I really stand here today to commend and salute the Minister for children, Norma Foley, who yesterday confirmed that €135 million would be made available for State-led childcare services. That is just the beginning, but I like the ambition of what the Minister is setting out. Her own statement says that this funding is being set aside to provide “high-quality, accessible early learning and childcare”. I like the synergy of early learning, support and childcare as one. It is not a place to house children and fill play hours. It is to help them to develop their cognition, provide supports and give them that advantage when going on to education.”
“The Minister of State has been to the fore in all of this and has been supportive of it. We want to encourage our citizens to rather than stymie or stop them from engaging fully with the planning process. I want to do this, and I know the Minister of State wants to do it. This is why I asked for an update. The update is helpful because I am now aware of things I did not know before. I appreciate the Minister of State bringing them to the table and I thank him.”
“We were told that there were possible legislative impediments holding back the board from progressing its full IT suite. We will need to look at that. It is very interesting that the Minister of State shared with us information on the lessons learnt report and I thank him for this. Clearly I will be looking to see a copy of it. It is important. We are here to improve the system and not to knock it. I acknowledge we are making progress, the positivity in the board and how it is addressing other issues but these are for another day. My real focus is on citizens and on city and county councillors and their ability to fully interact to the maximum capacity that technology allows through an IT planning system that is fit for purpose and that will assist all of us, particularly with the national development plan and infrastructural challenges.”
“That was not my question. My question was to ask the Minister to provide information on progress. In fairness, the Minister of State has done that. There is no ambiguity about my question, however, the purpose of which was to ask the Minister to provide information on progress with the roll-out of the Plean-IT project to enable full citizen engagement. It is simple; it is a two-line Commencement matter. I thank the Minister of State for the update because he highlighted matters of which I was not aware. He will know that I am in possession of correspondence. I will be happy to share it with the Department on Monday. I arranged to have a number of parliamentary questions asked in the Dáil by a network of TDs with which I work closely.”
“We may need to revisit An Coimisiún Pleanála, in particular, in relation to costs, overruns and systems being abandoned halfway through the process. There are challenges and concerns, and there may need to be a greater focus on those. I am here to listen to the update, however, because I do not know what the current state of progress is in this regard, which is why I have asked the Minister of State to the House.”
“It is important to maximise the use of our new IT systems and online capabilities and technologies to support the operations of An Coimisiún Pleanála, the planning authorities and anyone who wants to interact with our planning process. I ask for an update on progress and seek assurances from the Minister of State that his Department is satisfied An Coimisiún Pleanála has sufficient resources to deliver its remit, particularly in this area. I hope it will not be necessary to pursue this in great detail but there are serious concerns in relation to the IT capacity, but also the overruns, of a number of bodies under the aegis of Departments. We know from correspondence I have on file that a number of pilot projects costing substantial amounts of money have not been fully delivered.”
“I spoke to a number of councillors, particularly in rural communities, where there were difficulties in this regard and citizens had difficulty accessing the system. Clearly, if people do not have IT competence, there are issues. In terms of the ready availability of coloured scanned graphs, however, some local authorities are raising issues with the capacity to scan accurately and with great clarity coloured graphs and photographs and upload them to the system. This is particularly the case with protected structures. I do not want to knock the system and I accept there are challenges, but we have to address them. Access to and participation in the planning system are important for all citizen engagement.”
“Historically, instances of failures in corporate governance and direction framed public debate and public confidence in our planning system and An Bord Pleanála, as it was then. Thankfully, a new code of practice is in place that is guiding governance matters within An Coimisiún Pleanála. In my Commencement matter, I asked the Minister to provide an update on the progress on the full roll-out of the Plean-IT project to enable full citizen engagement. That will now be the focus of my commentary. It is important to fully enable citizens to go online as part of their engagement in the planning process for appeals, applications and other submissions. Online services and enhanced portal and website functions should be available for all citizens from all parts of the country.”
“I was on the housing committee from then onwards and I continued to monitor that. There has been a lack of real progress. To be fair, as the Minister of State will appreciate, we have had a whole new Planning and Development Act since then. I looked at the Estimates in relation to funding sought and granted for this project. That is another point to make. I will be as brief and concise as I can because I recognise, to be fair, that we have a new Planning and Development Act and comprehensive reform of our planning system. An Coimisiún Pleanála plays a critical role in the Irish planning system, deciding on appeals, planning decisions made by local authorities and direct applications for major housing, infrastructure and other categories of development.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, for coming to the House to discuss this Commencement matter. It is ironic that as the former Minister of State in the Department, Senator Malcolm Noonan, takes the Chair, it was he who responded to one of the final Commencement matters taken last year in relation to this area. I had a look yesterday at the number of times I have raised this matter since 2016. Luckily, I kept a few copies of documents, so that when I was looking for archive hard copies I found that I still had a few in my office. The Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, published in 2016 with a foreword by then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, set out clear ambition and guidance for the delivery of a fully comprehensive IT suite and online interactive portal for citizens all over the country.”
“I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, for coming to the House to take this matter, which relates to the participation framework in the defence procurement process. Senator Ahearn has four minutes to set out his stall.”
“This is my last amendment on the clár here. The rationale for this amendment is that it would create a new section 27 aimed at increasing patient autonomy. It is very difficult to legislate in the field of psychiatry, which, as we all know and the Minister of State has said, is fraught with issues in relation to the understanding of the human mind, ethical issues and adherence to social and cultural norms, a large part of what shapes our understanding of what is considered to be mental disorder or normative assumptions regarding what is considered socially acceptable. It is important that we, at all times, review and revise the legislation to ensure it aligns with best practice. I ask for the support of the Minister of State.”
“I move amendment No. 77: In page 39, after line 39, to insert the following: “Report on Maximising Autonomy 27. In advance of the five-year review of the Bill, the Mental Health Commission shall prepare and submit a report reviewing strategies to maximise patient autonomy within mental health services. This report shall be developed in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including but not limited to: (a) people with lived experience; (b) family members and supporters; (c) mental health professionals; (d) advocacy organisations; and (e) relevant statutory bodies. and shall include evidence-based recommendations aimed at strengthening rights-based, person-centred approaches to care and enhancing supported decision-making in line with national and international human rights standards.”.”
“I do not want to be critical of any one individual but let us learn from this. We want adequate notice of when these matters are being dealt with. It does not serve democracy well, nor does it augur well for a meaningful positive engagement on the floor of the House.”
“I would like it to be taken away that we be given adequate notice. The minute an amendment is ruled out of order, clearly the Minister of State and her officials should be informed and clearly the Members, and particularly the Member who proposed the amendment, should have adequate notice. We bring people into this House and into the Gallery. We invite them as guests and many of them have encouraged us to consider these amendments. We do not necessarily take amendments as we are handed them. We tweak them, tease them out and validate them. We engage, where possible, with the Department and so on. I thank the Minister of State's staff and her special adviser, Ian, who I spoke to the other day. I also acknowledge the Minister of State's work. We do not see the lights that burn all day and night in her office, or home for that matter.”
“I am amazed that, as part of our comprehensive remit in relation to this Mental Health Bill, we, as politicians, cannot promote a report on advocacy for people who are unwell. I will leave it at that. It is one of those things. I say again to Senators, Seanad staff and everybody else here, including the Minister of State and anyone who is responsible, that if amendments are going to be ruled out of order, that should be conveyed to the elected Members of Seanad Éireann with adequate notice. We have a constitutional role. A notification may have been emailed to me. I cannot categorically say one was, but I certainly did not receive a letter or notice. The last time this happened, I received a letter a day later. That does not serve democracy well. It is an insult - maybe unintended - to the elected Members.”
“It is exceptionally disappointing that the Members of this Parliament, who were elected in a democratic process, are being told by somebody that we cannot do this. That renders us all useless in terms of legislation. As numerous Taoisigh have said, this is the Upper House whose Members are meant to give added value or revise legislation coming from the Dáil. That is our focus. It is a pity when this happens. It does not serve democracy or the citizens we represent well. There was not even a message about costing. I have not been told it would cost €500 or whatever it might be. I sit on the internal Oireachtas audit committee and I am pretty up to speed on where money is being spent on all facets of these Houses.”
“I have a league table and it shows the Government virtually does not support any amendments. That is a terrible indictment on it. It is something that may change in time, but that has not happened yet. We are getting something wrong, and that is as much on the Opposition's side as the Government's. There does not seem to be any consensus on this matter, so we have this situation. We talked about advocates. We asked for a report and we were told we could not have one. If I look out the window, I will see the costs of the infrastructural work that has gone on in this place, yet we are told that for some reason we cannot have a report. What does that say? I am not referring to the Minister of State, but is the political establishment running scared? This is a discussion for another day, but I want to put it on the record.”
“We have to agree each section and this is an opportunity to discuss a section. I thank the Minister of State for her engagement. There has been good engagement, insofar as we could engage given that amendment No. 57 was ruled out of order. I have to say that I have no recollection of receiving any notice of that, which raises serious issues. I am conscious of the people watching the debate. They do not quite understand the parliamentary processes. In making primary legislation, we are informed by our Standing Orders, which are limited and really not satisfactory, but this is democracy. We in the Opposition accept there is a large majority or coalition of like-minded people who form the Government. That is politics and we have had to contend with that for a long time. I have been in this House for ten years.”
“The suggestion from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland is that this be codified in the Bill and clarified in the legislation. That is where I am coming from and that is where amendment No. 56 is coming from. Will the Minister of State clarify her understanding of those issues?”
“I want to come back on the Minister of State's response in respect of amendment No. 56. I referred to the rationale behind the amendment. The major concern of those in the professions to whom I have been speaking is that the Bill does not require that a capacity assessment be completed before involuntary treatment begins. That is either factually correct or it is not. Will the Minister of State confirm the position? Nor does the Bill require regular capacity assessments throughout the period of involuntary treatment. The position of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland is that comprehensive assessments of mental state and insight are conducted by multiple highly trained professionals continuously. It is an ongoing thing. It is the earlier bit, the assessment before the involuntary treatment begins.”
“This is the most fundamental part. I hear what the Minister of State is saying and she is committed. On that basis, I am happy to seek leave from the House for liberty to withdraw the amendment and to possibly re-enter it. I know we are going for one but I would genuinely welcome a sit-down with the Minister of State to tease this out. There would not be a big broad agenda, I assure the Minister, it would be a sit-down to see how we can really work together on this one.”
“Back to the Minister of State and the advocate, I would like if she could consider this independent advocacy - it does not always have to be complaints. It can be suggestions and supports. It can be looser. I do not always like when people are always talking about complaints. There are positive things happening. There is positive feedback as well. The advocate has a role in all of that. Of course, particularly in the psycho-geriatric element of mental health, when people have developed acute neurological issues and may have Alzheimer's, dementia or other forms of degeneration, coupled with medical needs, they are very complex and they are really vulnerable. That is where the advocates really come in. The openness and transparency within these services also allows people to see, listen and take something out.”
“Earlier, I said I have a renewed confidence and faith in whistleblowers and the staff, right up to all levels of staff, direct or indirect, nursing or medical staff. The night we were speaking in here, this was happening to patients down the road. It is very frightening. There were many circumstances of concern. The report highlighted that as far back as 2003, there were concerns. I will not dwell on it too much because it is on the public record. Anyone can see it. I again thank Shauna Bowers for the enormous story and taking pen to paper. She was brave enough to investigate it, validate it and collaborate internally with people and families there. Those are the very issues we must seek to address.”
“The reality is that at the end of it all, this is really disturbing. This is all on the public record, by the way, and published. The independent report commissioned senior management of the hospital. Okay. There were many allegations about patients being left in soiled clothing for unacceptable periods, slapped and threatened with injections. These are people suffering from mental health issues. These are the very people that I and my colleagues on this side of the House are talking about - vulnerable people - being threatened with injections. In some cases, they were threatened with food deprivation and punishments. A culture of an area of significant concerns was raised. People who worked there cried out and no one listened. There was not the protection.”
“It was more disturbing that the Society of Friends, the Quakers, owned this facility and within days, we heard it was up for sale. Within days, I understand some people in the private sector were looking at it. If we are looking for capacity, might I put out a call to the State and the Minister of State this morning that we might look at buying it ourselves? I might be the first to ask that but I am sure the Minister of State already has thought that. I know she will not be able to share that with me either, because it is price sensitive or it may not be the case and it may not be in the bigger plan. If this facility is full, has capacity and has the infrastructure in place, and we have a need, it makes sense that we should look at that or look at some synergy between the public and private sector or something.”
“I want to acknowledge that as no doubt, she will be tuning into here today. I want to talk about the issue of advocates. There are people in Bloomfield who sought people to give voice to their concerns. They could not get it. This illustrates the real importance of advocacy. As I said earlier on, this facility, Bloomfield, is regulated by the Mental Health Commission. Its most recent inspection of the facility, published in the September just gone, identified 94% compliance with the rules and regulations. We really have to be banging our head and asking how could it get a 94% compliance, as it has for the past two or three years. I know the Minister of State does not have the answers to that and I do not want to prejudice ongoing inquiries that the Minister of State may have initiated or asked other parties to initiate.”
“I will go back to the amendment first. I am delighted that the Minister of State is at one with us on that. The only thing is about primary legislation. There is nothing precluding the Minister from excluding it from primary legislation. I know the Minister of State has talked about secondary legislation and all of that. I do not doubt her word. I take her word. She can take it from me. She has been around a long time and I think I will be around for some time. We will chase each other to chase it over the line in there. Can I just go back to the Bloomfield Hospital case because it hinges on the advocacy piece? I thank the Minister of State for putting her concerns and where she is on the record. At the very outset, I want to thank Shauna Bowers, The Irish Times ' health correspondent who broke this story in The Irish Times.”
“I spoke to many people in recent weeks, who take measures and go way beyond the call of duty in offering additional supports, occupational services and linking into families. They go way beyond what they are paid to do and way beyond their remit. There is huge commitment and good will on the ground, but independent advocates give comfort and safety to all stakeholders, including the patients. It is paramount. This is potentially the key to giving confidence to people who work in the service, the families and service users. I encourage the Minister of State to give it her fullest consideration.”
“When people come into a confined, safe space, they feel safe and talk about their concerns, you can see they are deeply moved because they have lived this experience of isolation and loneliness. There are so many other strands to mental health and that sense of isolation. The people you thought you could trust, you expected to trust or to be there suddenly fall away. This independent advocate service is critical. This Bill in its entirety will be the Minister of State's legacy. This is perhaps the single most important piece of legacy, this work and putting in place an independent advocate, as well as of course, listening to the people on the ground working in the services. I cannot thank them enough.”
“While I always thought people had sort of an interest in "Oireachtas Report" at 11 p.m., the number of people who listened to the debate and talked about the lived experience shocked me. During the previous debate on this Bill, we discussed the lived experience. There is then the professional experience. The lived experience is very important, as is the professional experience. People contacted me who felt very hurt. They felt that, in some way, that is all they had. They might not have been very articulate about their experience but they had this lived experience, which is very important and valuable to them. I have always found that to be valuable.”
“I will follow on from what Senator Black said because it ties in with that. I too received a number of letters. I am loath to read out letters from people in the House because it can be sensitive stuff. Again, it is about the feeling that there are advocates. Patients are vulnerable and in a care situation. As the Minister of State described, the people may be unwell and on medication. There are peer pressures around the individual coming into mental health services. In respect of having a right to independent advocates, I spoke to management of two private psychiatric hospitals who told me that they do not have a difficulty with the independent advocacy service. Rather, it gives them comfort too.”
“They have not been able to access such services or have had to wait a very long time, particularly for assessments related to children, teenagers or juveniles. That is another day’s work and another challenge for the Minister of State, however. Hopefully, the Minister of State will come to some level of support or agreement in this area.”
“It is also mentioned in a letter on 16 January 2025 from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, which, again, emphasised the importance of advocacy in safeguarding people and empowering people and patients with their rights. It is a central plank. Advocacy is important. There must be confidence in the system of advocacy and complaints mechanisms. I also salute the advocates in mental health and those generally in care, including the staff, the whistleblowers at Bloomfield Hospital and staff in other psychiatric services, be they private or public. I do not want to draw any distinction between private and public because that is for another day and another debate. Not too many people can access or afford to access private mental care. That is something I have also discovered from personal testimony of people who contacted me.”
“It functions as a service-level feedback system, offering an accessible first point of contact for comments and resolution. Individuals should not be expected to complain directly to the organisation that is providing the service of care. The Bill should include a statutory right to independent advocacy and a mandate for the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism. I will leave the Minister of State with that. I would like to think we can get agreement on this. I do not see it as a difficulty. From everything I have read about her commitment in the lead-up to this debate and committee proceedings, I have a view that it will have our support. This is mentioned in the letter of correspondence, dated 10 November, directly to the Minister of State.”
“The special advocate could be trained to help individuals understand their rights, express their views and make informed decisions about their care. We all want to empower the patient. It is central to mental health. I saw some correspondence from the Minister in relation to mental health in which she made the point that this is progressive legislation but, yes, it may need a bit of tweaking here and there. The opinion of a second psychiatrist is important. With regard to the whole issue of advocacy, advocacy provides a unique and central support for individuals and it should not be viewed as a function already fulfilled by professionals. There are issues with independent complaint mechanisms. The Minister of State will be familiar with the HSE’s Your Service Your Say complaints process. The HSE does not claim to be independent.”
“We are asking for a report on independent advocacy because we have been ruled out in relation to other matters about advocacy. Mental Health Reform, which the Minister of State and I have both spoken about, has called for a statutory right to advocacy and for an independent complaints mechanism. People who speak to me see an awful lot of merit in the Minister of State's legislation but they see a shortcoming in terms of the independent complaints mechanism as the Bill stands. The Minister of State will clearly take on board some of the issues. She is coming back and may seek to bring amendments. I hope she will. All involuntary admitted persons receive a second opinion from psychiatrists, etc.”
“If I was the Minister, I would be exceptionally disappointed about that. I spoke to people today about referring some of this Bill back to committee. I might as well be honest and say I have looked at the possibilities of that. Would I get support in this House for that? Maybe not, but proposing to refer this back to the committee is something I would have to seriously consider, or sections of it. I am here today on the public record. We are the Oireachtas. There will be a broadcast tomorrow night of tonight's proceedings. It does not sit comfortably with me and I do not think it sits comfortably with a lot of people that we are being told a bit of money is a problem when putting in place a policy of advocacy. What is the rationale? I will get to the point.”
“It is very transparent about how it does its business. My colleague, Senator Ryan, and I are asking for a report on independent advocacy because we have been ruled out of order previously when we talked about advocacy. That is why I asked the Leas-Chathaoirleach to read into the record why it was ruled out. We are being told in a Parliament and a democracy that, because of funding, it is not possible to provide this. Because someone somewhere may have to type up a few sheets of paper or do a report, amendment No. 52a on the right for independent advocacy was ruled out. What a read. What a headline to write in the national papers tomorrow. I think that is a pity. It is not the Minister of State's fault. She does not manage this, but it is not something to sit comfortably with.”
“The goings-on in Bloomfield Hospital of which we learned as a result of a whistleblower were horrific. That gives me hope in the sense that the punters, Irish people, caregivers and people in the service are vigilant. Some of the advocates are here tonight. They are the eyes and ears and advocates in relation to mental health. I am not here to question the Minister of State's record. In my engagements since we spoke before Christmas, people have gone all out to impress upon me her absolute commitment. I do not doubt that and want to be clear about that. I do not want to frustrate the Bill. However, I note the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission wrote to the Minister of State on 10 November 2025. I have a copy of the letter in front of me. In fairness, it is on the IHREC website.”
“That was not something I was aware of beforehand, in terms of advocacy and speaking to people who have family in there. I will not dwell on that. It would not be appropriate to open all that up. That is not my intention, other than to say I was contacted and told Bloomfield received a compliance score of 94% from the Mental Health Commission. That is hard to believe, is it not? That was three years in a row. No known complaints were flagged to the HSE in terms of Your Service, Your Say and accessing all of that. Advocates and an independent complaints process would help protect people in hospitals. As we were talking before Christmas, these things were going on in Bloomfield. I took the time to engage with people because that is the nature of my business, and the nature of most of us as politicians.”
“I have also looked at some statements and commentary from the Ombudsman for Children and others in relation to the Bill. I do not want to rehash them but, fundamentally, independent advocacy is one of the biggest issues. I have had telephone calls and meetings with people who work in psychiatric services. I take this opportunity to salute them. When I woke up the other day, I got hope and heart from them more than anybody else because they are on the ground. They are the eyes and ears and they told me of their concerns. They said they are vigilant and try to communication their concerns. There is whistleblower legislation. They acknowledge the role of the independent media. There are many ways of dealing with it. Also since the Minister of State and I met, there was the terrible story of Bloomfield Hospital.”
“I move amendment No. 52b: In page 26, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “Report on right to independent advocacy 13. Within nine months of the passing of this Act the Minister shall lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining how a right to independent advocacy can be guaranteed to all patients and their caregivers.”. Before talking about the rationale, I want to use this opportunity to say that, since the Minister of State and I last met, I have had much engagement from groups including the Irish Council of Civil Liberties, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Mental Health Reform. They have done sterling work. All of these agencies get various forms of State funding and do good work. Of course, we have different views and interests.”
“I did not receive an email, letter or any notice of it. That may be lost in translation somewhere. Will the Leas-Chathaoirleach read out the note about why it was ruled out, just for the record? Thanks.”
“That is the kernel of what we are trying to do here. It is too easy, in some ways, to confuse or conflate the two. There are many people in care who may have been detained for a particular reason and who may be dealing with complex issues but this is primarily a health issue. That is why I am concerned. We have talked about the lived experience but we must also consider the professional experience. This is what professional psychiatrists are telling us and that has to be part of our consideration in our deliberation on this series of amendments.”
“I will be brief. Again, we are hearing from psychiatrists but there are two, if not three sides, to this story. Psychiatrists have said that some of them are not trained in making reliable assessments of risk in the context of this criterion. They argue that risk assessments are often speculative, inconsistent and prone to error. This is a factor that we must consider because it is qualified psychiatrists who are saying this. Clearly, it is an issue and clear, evidence-based criteria must be used. Alarm bells are being rung. People in the psychiatric services are expressing some concerns about their qualification, experience and ability to assess future risk to others. We must be very careful to ensure that there is a health rather than criminal focus here. As the Minister of State said, this legislation is a health-based initiative.”
“I will keep in short. In fairness to the Minister of State, I recall her touching on this amendment. There are so many amendments, which is the nature of the legislation. I remember her touching on it but conscious that the amendment had not yet been reached. She has made her position quite clear. I will not go into any great detail other than to endorse what Senator Ryan said. I will not repeat everything the Senator said but I fully agree with her. This is a very welcome amendment as it strengthens and safeguards issues around involuntary admission. By requiring a higher threshold for involuntary detention, the amendment helps to ensure such admissions are used only as a measure of last resort and, which is even more important, in keeping with Ireland's human rights obligations. I will leave it at that.”
“I also want to thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, who gave a very impressive presentation and overview of Government policy on older adult homelessness in Ireland.”
“The President highlighted some of the key recommendations in the report. I pay tribute to the CEO of Galway Simon, Ms Carol Baumann. That organisation has been involved in developing accommodation units there itself. The report draws attention to the issue of elderly homelessness in the context of rents, the cost of property, social isolation and the limits on HAP. All of these are challenges and this cohort of people needs our support, focus and attention. I also thank Ms Ber Grogan and wish her well as the new executive director of Simon Communities, which does amazing work. I will be asking the Oireachtas housing committee to give this report further consideration.”
“First, I want to extend my sincere condolences to Padraic White, his daughter and family and pay tribute to Mary White. What a wonderful Senator she was. I am sure we will have an opportunity to pay tribute to her at some later point but I would just like to say now that Mary White was a great friend, a great personal mentor, a true republican and an entrepreneur. I look forward to having the opportunity to pay tribute to her to a greater extent in this House. Yesterday I was in Galway where President Connolly officially launched the Simon Communities of Ireland Older Adult Homelessness in Ireland report. It was well publicised on television, radio and on other media. The report was a collaborative effort bringing together local and international client perspectives to provide insights and explore practical solutions.”