I thank Independent Ireland for bringing this forward. It is probably fair to say that most of us here grew up from childhood with a moral phrase repeated by our parents or guardians, "If you tell the truth, you will not get into trouble" and now we are here in the Chamber, dealing with the Protected Disclosure Act 2014, as amended in 2022 on foot of EU Directive No. 2019/1937. I most recently brought two constituent and professional colleague protected disclosures to the Chamber. PD 2025 No. 17 has been raised twi…

I will speak to the subtle costs borne by the brave, community-entrenched entrepreneurs of the SME sector. Local craftspeople, farmers, growers and shop owners have symbiotic relationships with local rural and urban communities. I acknowledge previous Government supports during Covid but the impact of restrictions then, which forced so many consumers to go online, can never be repeated. I raise that as a flag for future consideration. Regardless of global opportunities or turbulence the SMEs are the constants in ou…

Níl a fhios agam an mbeidh mo chairde sa tSeomra i gceann tamaill. I thank the Minister for her update. It was very comprehensive. I was here earlier but I had to step out for a while. I will confine my comments just in case my colleagues thunder in, but I can jump back if necessary. I will consider five As, like an A rating. The first A is that consideration be given – the Minister has even addressed one already – to the asks of the parents and advocates of the children. The second is to acknowledge the conscienti…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss Science Week 2025, whose theme this year is "Then. Today. Tomorrow" and how past knowledge informs present and future science. I commend Science Foundation Ireland, now Research Ireland, on its vision to establish Science Week 30 years ago. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, and the Minister for the continuing investment in STEM subjects, personnel and facilities. Essential to the study of science is a quest for knowledge: challenging past theories, proving theories a…

As every Member today has done, I condemn the barbaric events at Citywest and, more recently, in Drogheda, County Louth. I want to express my gratitude to the members of An Garda Síochána and the emergency services for their swift actions. However, it should not have come to this. As I said on 18 September, there is a real risk to social cohesion if we do not put our house in order in a fair and humane manner as quickly as possible. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan,…

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I will keep my commentary simple and straightforward. I missed the other contributions as I was at a committee. I wish the best of luck to both candidates on Friday. More importantly, I wish them a good recovery next week when the adrenaline and cortisol levels start to subside. I hope they avoid any illness. It is fair to say that a percentage of the population is disenfranchised facing into this election. What that signposts us to do is take on board the recommendations in the 1998 Oireachtas review. It is common…

At this point, every Member of Dáil Éireann has received an email with information about protected disclosure, PD17/2025. That protected disclosure was made by a conscientious health professional. I am raising it as a matter of utmost gravity because, as far back as June and July of this year, that healthcare professional has attempted to get the matters relating to public health addressed by HIQA, the Department of justice, the Department of Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, to name but four. At th…

All of the processes have been followed, including contacting the OPDC. By referencing the other agencies, my point is that there is silence. This is a matter of serious public health. When I cross-check the criteria and scope with the Covid-19 evaluation committee that the Department of the Taoiseach established, under scope and exclusions are the very matters included within this protected disclosure: the care of older people in nursing homes between 2020 and 2022; the administration of gene therapy to people dur…

I am grateful for this opportunity. I acknowledge the "him" in my life who contributed greatly to getting me in here. I am grateful to the Movember organisation which provided us with recent research into the whole area of men's health. It is an area that I have a particular interest in. I found a module on men's health from 2003 from the North-Eastern Health Board. Despite criticism, I acknowledge how far we came between 2003 and the policy in 2009, but also how much further we have to go. Pivotal to that is the c…

As many others have said, this is the first budget of five. We will not all be happy. There are pros and cons to everything. Fundamentally, to try to balance books, deliver fairness and target assistance to the areas that are most necessary and deserving is an almost impossible task. I will acknowledge the targeting of funding towards education, disability matters, healthcare, housing and, hopefully, public transport or transport infrastructure through the national development plan when we get to that stage. They a…

I welcome and support this amendment to section 7 of the National Training Fund Act. I am extremely interested in and grateful for the discussion that we have had. This process in itself is a learning process for me. It will not be any surprise to either the Minister or the Minister of State that I want to focus my attention on Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, ETB, and Dunboyne College of Further Education and its hopeful transition to soon becoming a college of the future. I think the college will mee…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle, an Aire agus an Aire Stáit - an triúr agaibh. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for this opportunity. I would also like to acknowledge the information and support given to me by Meath IFA and the Irish Grain Growers group who have presented to the committee. Rather than repeat the statistics that have been so forthcoming from all parties and none today, as we are all very much aware of the shrinkage, the reduction in acreage and the numbers of farmers in the tillage community, I…

Go raibh maith agat. I watch and I learn.

I am very appreciative of all the discussions I have heard, both in the Chamber and in my room today. There is a fantastic exchange of knowledge, diversity of debate and agreement on many subjects. I have edited out the bulk of my commentary rather than be repetitious. I will keep it with a community focus. I welcome the annually increased and increasing budget funding and the improving fiscal and human resources to date. There is probably uniformity of agreement on much more needing to be done. With the community …

I will begin by thanking all the departmental teams, the team in the Parliamentary Budget Office and the ushers who were ferrying budget packages up and down today. I thank everybody who worked long, hard hours in preparation for this, trying to go back over trends, looking through forecasting, looking at the global situation and then coming up with a plan that would try, first of all, to meet the objective I understood was the primary objective, which was to begin by targeting supports and measures towards those m…

I wish to convey my most sincere thanks to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, to the officials at the Department of Health, in the Health Service Executive, and in particular my former colleagues, as I am no longer practising, in the Irish Pharmacy Union, in particular Kathy Maher, the contractors committee and the executive, who have done sterling work over the years, which is now being recognised. This is a case of tús maith leath na hoibre. I take on board suggestions that colleagues made. I assure them that…

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I thank all the family and young carers who carry out their tasks on a daily basis and save the State an absolute fortune. I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, the Parliamentary Budget Office and my predecessors in the regional group, particularly Denis Naughten, who did substantial work on this issue and contributed to the position we are in today. To restore a little balance, and it is vindicated to some extent by Family Carers Ireland in its budg…

Education is a freedom and enabling children and teenagers to participate and achieve their own personal goals is of paramount importance. School transport is a significant part of that enablement. The Government has made great strides in the area of special education and the improvements include working with the NCSE to bring forward timelines, so I am wondering why in this area we still have the annual anxiety, chaos and disappointment for children and parents. Apply in April, pay in June and maybe have a ticket …

This is probably the most divisive issue in politics. It definitely deserves more frequent discussion. I have been requesting this discussion for the past six months, so I am grateful for my two minutes now. What will be Ireland's migration management plan for the positive net migration of 79,000 people to our country? How is Ireland's ability to cope in the following areas being measured and planned for: education, healthcare, housing, transport, policing and community safety? Forward planning and robust policies …