An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-23
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Garret Ahearn (FG), Administrative Panel

I thank everyone for the lovely comments today. I have definitely got a big head after the past hour of kind words. I am not sure they were all true, but they were really appreciated. I am very grateful. I thank in particular my Fine Gael colleagues for their support over the last number of weeks and in general. We have a great bunch here in the Seanad and it is a privilege to work with all of them. I also thank the Opposition Members for their comments, but particularly for their restraint before I was appointed. I am aware that one or two struggled with that, and I was very fearful that it would have an impact on the decision-making by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, but thankfully it worked out.
It is a real honour today. A number of Senators mentioned my family. I had the privilege of growing up in a family where there were two passions in life. One was farming and the other was public service. Both my parents were public servants - councillors and a TD. I did not get the grá for the farming but I certainly got the grá for public service. It is a real privilege to have my family here.
I acknowledge the presence of the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy John Cummins, because in politics, as we all know, you need one or two friends you can rely on through the good times and particularly through the bad. When I came into this House six years ago, I sat beside Deputy Cummins. We have been very good friends since.
I also acknowledge my wife – my patient wife – and thank her for being here because it is an important day for our family. Most people here understand that when you get elected to any office or position, local or national, it is a huge day for your family. It is a real privilege to have mine here. My two boys were here for about 40 or 45 minutes and did not say a word, which is amazing. I believe they will go into politics in the future because that is not how they act in private at all. They are my pride and joy and I was delighted to have them here.
I thank the 20 Senators who contributed on the Order of Business today. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke about the ONE study, which relates to the 140,000 veterans of the Defence Forces. It presents a good opportunity to have a debate on the matter, particularly when we are talking about changes in defence, and to acknowledge the work and service the veterans provided over many years. A lot of other countries take so much pride in their defence forces and retired defence forces, and sometimes we do not do so as much as we probably should. Therefore, there is a good opportunity to have a debate here.
Senator O'Loughlin also spoke about Cuan Mhuire, the voluntary addiction service. All such providers need extra funding. We will have a budget in a number of months, but this is a very good opportunity to highlight the work the providers do.
Senator Kennelly spoke about wet bars in traditional pubs. They are vital to our communities, whether in Kerry or Tipperary. We are, unfortunately, seeing a change in society and in how people live their lives.
People want to support their local pubs but there are real challenges in terms of high costs, as the Senator said, and in terms of energy and water. Decisions made have had an impact on staffing whether it is the higher rate of the minimum wage, increased holidays, sick leave or auto-enrolment. There are so many elements that have put a lot of costs on businesses. Although we are bringing in the 9% VAT, which is hugely welcome, we need to make sure to prioritise pubs in rural Ireland, as the Senator said, and the role they play for local communities.
Senator Boyhan spoke in relation to the guardianship legislation and acknowledged the Minister, Deputy Foley’s, work on that. He noted that it will be independent and that it always has supporting children at the heart of it. That was welcomed by the Minister this morning.
Senator Murphy spoke in relation to the ten-year anniversary of Brexit, which happened today. We spoke about that this morning as well with President Metsola and if there is ever an example how one decision can change how politics works in a country, it is certainly Brexit. It looks like the UK is going to have its seventh Prime Minister in ten years, which is incredibly frustrating. Senator Murphy talked about how the Good Friday Agreement was hardly discussed during Brexit. I remember that James O’Brien used to do a radio interview every day on LBC Radio, and I think that he was only reporter who used to talk about the implications it would have on Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement. Ten years later, we still have the same issues to deal with. However, as the Senator said, it is a good opportunity to have a serious engagement with the new Prime Minister when he or she takes office in September. We have to continue that engagement because it has improved since Keir Starmer took office. It is important that it continues and develops even further.
Senator Comyn spoke about the 30th anniversary of Veronica Guerin’s murder. It is amazing that it is 30 years. Most people were shocked and outraged by what happened on that day. To think that someone would be killed in broad daylight in front of people but as the Senator said, positive things have happened from it. The establishment of CAB has had a huge impact on criminal organisations in this country and that would not have happened only for Veronica Guerin. There are, as the Senator said, many journalists across the world who go into danger and sadly lose their lives. We do a lot of work on the media committee on this, but we need to highlight this more and we can in this Chamber.
Senator Nessa Cosgrove spoke about the HRT scheme. It is a good thing to raise, as it is a free scheme but there is no point in having a free scheme if it is not available or in low supply. When the Senator talks about women’s health, it is almost like the Government or the two Houses of the Oireachtas are catching up on women’s health. One of the reasons is probably because in years gone by, people in either Chamber did not speak up about it. When 40% of the representatives in the Seanad are women, it just shows that these important issues can be highlighted, and things can be changed for the better. I will ask the Minister for a debate on that.
Senator Gareth Scahill spoke in relation to the appointment of Councillor Domnick Connolly to the role of Cathaoirleach. It is a great honour for him, and I have no doubt that he will do a good job. He is replacing Councillor Liam Callaghan who did a fantastic job and we wish them both well. We have spoken numerous times in the Seanad about safe routes to school and what we can do in relation to rural schools in particular and making them safer. I know that myself. We have kids the same age, so we know the dangers that are there in rural communities. It is more about getting funding in the next budget as well, not necessarily for big projects, but small things that can reduce speed on roads.
Senator Sharon Keogan spoke in relation to the Creeslough tragedy. If what the Senator is saying is the case - I have no reason to doubt it - it just seems terrible that the supports are not there for the victims, their families and people who are struggling on the back of one of the worst atrocities that ever happened in Ireland. Ten people died, including three kids, in a tiny village on the northern tip of our island. It was a terrible thing to happen. As Leader of the Seanad, I will write to the Tánaiste to outline the Senator’s concerns, which are genuine.
You would like to think that sort of support would be in place for those people still.
Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the GPO and the transfer of ownership to the OPW, which is significant because it opens up the opportunity to re-open it for the public good. A consultation period will happen or will open soon. I am not sure what the dates are, but I encourage people to engage in that consultation process, because the GPO plays a vital role in the city centre of Dublin. We have had many debates here about how much more funding needs to go into promoting the city centre. It is a tourist attraction. People judge the whole country based on how they see the city centre and the GPO plays a vital role in that.
Senator Cathal Byrne spoke about the Battle of Vinegar Hill in 1798. He has educated me many times in his office on that historic event. As he said, he is a true republican. We all strive for a united Ireland. That is why the Tánaiste raised it two weeks ago although there is sometimes criticism of that, but then there is criticism if people do not raise it. Senator Murphy has spoken about it numerous times. The more people who raise it, the better. As was said, we should all be striving for it. We spoke about it this morning with President Metsola, about using our Presidency to promote the vision we all have for a united Ireland.
Senator Andrews spoke about the sad passing of Gary Ward a number of years ago. What is sadder is that there is no closure for families. For someone to wait three years to get some sort of facts or findings about what happened from the coroner's office is not acceptable. Families have enough to deal with in the tragedy itself, without having to try to get answers. I will write to the Minister to see if he will come in to debate this, because that is hardly the only example. I suspect people around the country have been waiting more than the time they should be.
Senator Duffy raised GAA coverage and GAA+. One of the requests I might have as Leader, particularly for this year, is that people do not talk about the GAA. Tipperary is out of it. People come to the Seanad giving out they cannot watch their teams play. My team is not even playing. They are small issues. On a serious note, I can see why, when there are many games at the start of the season, all of them cannot be shown on RTÉ. However, certainly when we get to the latter end, when there are three or four matches per weekend, I do not see any reason RTÉ cannot show them all, particularly as it is an organisation founded on volunteerism.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the Limerick Post interview with the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke and how we want to do more to promote big businesses coming to rural Ireland. A lot of that has been done in recent years. As the Senator said, the interaction between colleges and companies can improve an area or town. That is happening with the University of Limerick, the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, and Mary Immaculate College. The Shannon Estuary task force report was published and it would be good to have a debate here. We have a lot of representatives from the region and just outside it, which could benefit massively. I will contact the Minister's office to see if we can have a debate. The Minister, Deputy Burke, will get a lot of requests from me from today.
Senator Clonan spoke about the triple lock. He is passionate about it. There are differing views on all sides of the House but he is knowledgeable about the Defence Forces and defence protocol. The Oireachtas joint committee on defence will go through pre-legislative scrutiny of it. It will come to this House and I have no doubt we will have a detailed debate on it. When that happens, we can speak about it in more detail.
Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about something awful and the fact it was not even mentioned that this happened. It was the new general manager of St. Ultans school who was attacked, essentially. I suspect a Garda investigation is happening at the moment and these people need to be dealt with at the highest level.
I hope that is happening. I am sure the Senator knows whether it is. It is just not acceptable that someone who has come into this country and is giving incredible service by supporting vulnerable people - children - here is attacked like that by thugs, essentially. I will write to the Minister's office to ask what the Minister is doing. As the Senator said, it is not just about having gardaí on the street because they are dealing with an awful lot - it is also about senior gardaí in terms of policy and what they are doing in the area.
Senator Nelson Murray told the House that the Navan Midsummer Festival was a huge success. Those things always have a massive impact on a town. The knock-on financial benefit to businesses right across the area is hugely important. The Senator also spoke about her meeting with representatives of FirstLight - I did not realise it has been renamed from the Irish Sudden Infant Death Association - which deals with many tragic cases. One of the real challenges for all of these organisations is that they are fighting for money every single year and, as the Senator said, there is no multi-annual funding. I know the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is very focused on getting multi-annual funding at HSE level for the future. There are organisations that need such funding. I know that because it is not just organisations like this one that are affected. My brother Scott, who works in the mental health sector, is very familiar with trying to fight for funding every single year in order to support people. If there was multi-annual funding, it would give certainty to people who work in that sector.
Senator Harmon called for a debate on Cork, basically. I am in support of that. I lived in Cork for ten years, as she knows. On a serious note, transport is a critical part of how a city can develop. If a city is increasing its population by 50% or 60% by 2040, we need to have the means to be able to support that. There will be challenges with the Luas development across the city, which was welcome news when she raised it two or three months ago, and it will take some time but that needs to progress as quickly as possible. There are always difficulties in it. The greater scheme is to connect both sides of the city. If that can happen, it will be really positive for the area. I am familiar with one or two of the bus routes where buses used to be late. I will write to the Minister to see if we can have a debate on transport around Cork city.
Senator Brady spoke about the plastic collection points, which are there to encourage farmers to bring their waste plastic back so it is not just left on a farm, left idle or disposed of independently. It is about recycling and reusing that plastic. Those sites need to be close to farmers so they can avail of them. Obviously that is very important.
Senator Lynch raised the digital decade report and said that, predominantly, people think it is about big firms and big companies but small businesses need to start to move with the times as well. That is a real challenge. We brought in a number of initiatives during Covid to try to encourage people to go online for simple things like online shopping or online promotion of their businesses. The world has changed and how people interact with businesses and firms is changing. Many companies in my local area are small to medium-sized companies. We need to be able to make sure they can focus on and improve their services online. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Burke, for a debate on that.
Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about Cavan hospital. During the past couple of weeks, while I have been here, Senator Tully has raised a number of examples in respect of Cavan hospital. All of those examples can be very distressing for the families. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, about the services of some hospitals around the country. Cavan has come up in this Chamber quite a lot so I will ask if we can have a debate on that.
Senator McCarthy spoke about the connection between alcohol, mental health and suicide. Essentially, dual diagnosis has always been the challenge here. I know the Senator does an awful lot of work with Tiglin so he knows it well. The Minister of State with responsibility for mental health, Deputy Butler, introduced a Bill a number of months ago. She is very passionate on the subject and wants to improve the area and get more funding for it. I will see if she can come into this House for a debate.
I know about healthcare in the mid-west, which Senator Martin Conway spoke about, because Tipperary is connected to that. There has been the very positive announcement of a new hospital as part of UHL.
There has, however, been some disappointment regarding Ennis. If Ennis is looking for an air ambulance, we certainly could call in the Minister. I suspect that tabling a Commencement matter might be the best option for Senator Conway. I am more than happy to support him on it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-23/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-23